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IT IS FINISHED. 



THE 



PATHWAYS AND ABIDING PLACES 



OF 



OUR LORD; 



ILLUSTRATED 



IN THE JOURNAL OF A TOUR 



THROUGH 



%iA of T^nmt 



BY 



J. M. WAINWKIGrHT, D.D. 



NEW-YORK: 

D. APPLETON & COMPANY, 200 BROADWAY, 
PHILADELPHIA : 
GEO. S. APPLETON, 164 CHESNUT-STREET. 

M.DCCC.LI. 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1850, by 
J. M. WAINWRIGHT, 
in the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Southern District of New-York. 




TO 

ROBERT B. MINTURN. 

My Dear Friend, 

To whom, with so great propriety as to yourself, can I 
inscribe this volume ? The excursion which it aims to narrate, I 
should not in all probability have undertaken but for you. I shall 
ever recall, with the liveliest satisfaction, the pleasure I enjoyed, and 
the instruction I received from thus visiting the scenes of events inter- 
esting, above all others, to the Christian; and assured that you also look 
back upon the days of our pilgrimage in the Land of Promise with 
like feelings, I beg you to accept this imperfect memorial of them. 
With sincere affection and respect, 

I am, your friend, 

Jona. M. Waikwright. 

New- York, November, 1850. 



PREFACE. 



A flood of light has been thrown upon the Holy Land by modern 
research ; and its past history, physical appearance and present 
condition, are now familiar to many readers. What can any one add 
to the " Biblical Researches " of Professor Robinson, in illustration 
of the geography of the Sacred Scriptures ? And for the topography 
and antiquities of Jerusalem, nothing can be more full and minute 
than "The Holy City" of the Rev. George Williams, Fellow of 
King's College, Cambridge. These two works are the offspring of 
the utmost care and industry, enlightened by patient and thorough 
personal investigation. Their respective authors, indeed, differ 
materially as to the credit due to some traditions that ascribe certain 
localities to the events of sacred story; and the curious in such 
questions will not fail to consult both. But the present work makes 
no pretension to throw light on similar discussions ; for even had its 
author been prepared to take part in them, the limited time would 



vi 



PREFACE. 



have precluded the attempt. He visited the Holy Land with 
different views : he went to see, to feel, and to believe ; yielding to 
doubt only when compelled by common sense and his measure of 
information. To him, no description was ever unattractive of that 
land, 

"Over whose acres walked those blessed feet, 
Which fourteen hundred years ago were nailed 
For our advantage, on the bitter cross." 

Not a book upon Palestine was ever thrown aside unopened. 
Trusting to a like sensibility in many readers, the hope is cherished, 
that if the freshness of novelty be wanting, the subject will secure 
for itself a certain degree of interest. 

The original design was to unite in one volume a visit to Egypt 
and the Holy Land, making the narrative, as far as possible, 
illustrative of Scripture History. To the Christian reader Egypt is 
mainly interesting from its association with the Bible, and because 
God's chosen people were there held in bondage. That name of 
Palestine which most suggests sacred memories and hopes, is the 
Land of Promise. The title, therefore, would have been, The Land 
of Bondage and the Land of Promise. This design has not been 
abandoned. But in the mean time it occurred that the journal of a 
tour in the Holy Land might fitly illustrate the thought which was 
ever present, and which the title expresses : The Pathways and 
Abiding Places of our Lord. 

In executing this plan the author has availed himself of his letters 



PEEFACE. vii 

written on the spot, his journal, recollections and meditations — in 
short, of all the resources at his command, which could be profitably 
used in carrying out the design. A task this of some difficulty ; and 
he is fully convinced that it never could have been accomplished, 
with any thing like the degree of satisfaction he now feels in its 
completion, but for the advice and assistance of a much valued friend, 
in whose taste and judgment he places the fullest confidence. This 
friend has himself been a very extensive traveller, though not in the 
Holy Land, and many of his suggestions, therefore, have been the 
result of experience. How much the author has been thus both 
aided and encouraged in his undertaking, it would be difficult, as it is 
needless, to say. But justice demands this open acknowledgment of 
thanks to one who would himself have been equally, or better 
satisfied, with a private expression of them. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 



Journey from Egypt to the Holy Land : 

Cairo, , c , . 1 

The Farewell, . . . . . . . . . .2 

The Virgin's Well and the Sycamore, . 3 

The Flight into Egypt, . . . . . . . . .4 

Reflections by the Way, ... . . . . . 5 

The Ruins of Heliopolis, . . . . . . 6 

Obelisk — Mirage of the Desert, . . . 9 . . 7 

The Locusts and the Land of Goshen, . . . ; . „ .8 

Loading the Camel, . . " . . . . • . . . 9 

Travelling in the Desert, . . . . . . . .9 

Mounting the Camel, ... . . • . . 10 

Pilgrims to Jerusalem, . . . . . . • . .11 

Life in the Desert, . . . . , • . . . 11 

Life in the Desert, . . . . . . . . 12 

Night Scene on the Desert, . . . . . . . . 13 

Aspect of the Desert, . * • * . • . . .14 

Difficulty of Describing, . . . . , 9 , 14 

Ancient City of the Jews, . . . • « . , .15 

Entrance to the Desert, . . . . • • . * 16 

Keeping the Path in the Desert, . . • . • • * .17 

Bridges — River Sihor, . . . . 9 . . . 18 

Worship in the Desert, . . . « • • . .19 

Water in the Desert, . . . . . . . . . 20 

Palm-Trees — Gazelles, . . . . . 9 » . .21 

A Recovery — Pilgrim Grave, 22 

Washing in the Sand— Arab Tent, . . . . . . .23 

Tribute Money— The Sea, . . . . . . . . 24 

El Areesh, . . . . - . • . . . . . .24 

El Areesh — Arab Messenger, . . . . . . . . 25 

Aspect of Syria, .......... 26 



X 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

Journey through Syria to Gaza : 

Arab Customs, .......... 27 

Love of Home, . . . . . . . . 28 

Tribute— Shekh's Tomb, ....... 29 

A City Erased, ......... 30 

Prickly Pear, .......... 31 

Pleasant Ride, ......... 32 

The Highway of Kings, ......... 33 

Quarantine at Gaza, ......... 33 

The Guards in Quarantine, . . . . . . . .34 

Arab Horror of Quarantine, ........ 35 

Events in Quarantine, . . . . . . . . .36 

Farewell to Quarantine, ........ 37 

The Land of Promise : 

Boundaries and Names, ......... 37 

Limits of the Land of Promise, . . . • . . . . 38 

Names of the Land of Promise, ........ 39 

Brief Historical Notices, . . . . . . . 39 

Joshua, — Judges, .......... 40 

Kingdoms of Judah and Israel, . . . . . . . 41 

Captivity and Restoration, ........ 42 

Peaceful Advent of Christ, . . . . . . . . 43 

Woes of Jerusalem, ......... 44 

Physical Characteristics, . . . . . . . . 44 

Lebanon, ......... 45 

Hermon — Mount of Beatitudes, ....... 46 

Tabor — Esdraelon — Carmel, ........ 47 

Mountains of Judah — Plain of Sharon, ...... 48 

Fertility — Climate, ......... 49 

Ancient Palestine, ......... 50 

The Past, the Present, and the Future of Palestine, . . . . .50 

Grapes of Eshcol — Populousness, . . . . . . . 51 

Beauty and Fertility — Sad Change, ...... .52 

Caused by Disobedience, . . . . . . . 53 

Prophecy Fulfilled, . . . . . . . . .54 

Cheer in the Future, ......... 55 

Land of Promise, ......... 56 

Samson, .......... 57 

Journey from the Borders of the Land of Promise to Jerusalem: 

Gaza, the Strong, . . . . . . . . .58 

The Pleasant Land of the Philistines, . . . . . . 59 

Oriental Tombs — Great Changes, ... ... .60 

A Running Brook — A Rocky Way, . . • . . . 61 



CONTENTS. Xi 

PAGE 

Drawing near to Jerusalem, . . . . . . .62 

First View of Jerusalem, ... . , . . . ♦ . . 63 

Silence and Solitude, . . . ...... . .64 

Journal of Ten Days' Residence in Jerusalem : 

Aspect of Jerusalem, . . . . . . . 65 

Garden of Gethsemane, ......... 66 

The Aged Olive Trees, ........ 67 

Thoughts in the Garden, . . ... . . .68 

The Agony in Gethsemane, . . . . . . . . 69 

Good Friday, . . . . . . . . . .70 

The English Church, . . . . . . . . . 71 

Wailing Place of the Jews, . . ... . . .72 

The Weeping of the Old Men, 73 

Baptism of Converted Jews, .... . . . .74 

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, .... . . 74 

Sad Scenes at Easter, ... ...... 76 

Architecture of the Church, ........ 77 

Modern Traditions, . . . . . . . . .78 

The Sacred Localities, . . . . . . . . 79 

A Procession, . . . . ... . . .80 

Singular Ceremonies, . . . ... . . 81 

Jerusalem, Bethany, and the Mount of Olives, . . . . . .82 

View from the Mount of Olives, . . . . . . 83 

Synagogues in Jerusalem, ........ 84 

Passion Week and the Sacred Places, . . • . . 85 
The Life of Christ, .... .... 86 

Palm Sunday, . .. . . . . . . . 87 

Christ approaches Jerusalem, . . . . . . . .88 

The Lord's entry into Jerusalem, . . ... . . 89 

Christ purines the Temple, . . . . . . . .90 

Jesus curses the Fig Tree, . . . . . . . 91 

He teaches in the Temple, . . . . ... .92 

The Glory of the Temple, ........ 93 

The Fearful Prophecies, . . . . . • . . . .94 

The Gratitude and Love of Mary, . . . . . . . 95 

The Treason of Judas, . . . . . . ♦ .96 

Chamber of the Last Supper, ....... 97 

Beginning of the Feast, . . . . . . . . .98 

Last Visit to Gethsemane, . . . . . . . . 99 

The Way of the Captivity, . . . . . . .100 

Via Dolorosa, . . . . . . • • . . 101 

The Road of the Cross, . . ... . . . .102 

The Way to Calvary, . . . . . . . . .103 

Easter Eve, ....... . . '. 104 



xii 



CONTENTS. 



The Tomb of the Lord, . . 

Excursion to the Dead Sea, . . 

Crowds of Pilgrims, . . . 

Mohammedan Pilgrims, 

Chivalry of the Desert, 

Scenery of the Dead Sea, 

Engedi — David and Saul — The Plain, 

Asphaltum — Sodom and Gomorrah, 

A Mountain of Salt, . 

Apples of Sodom — Dead Sea, 

Valley of the Jordan, . 

Arab Pledge of Amity — The Djerid, 

Encampment of Pilgrims, 

Friendly Incident — View of the Camp, . 

The March of the Jordan, 

Bathing in the Jordan, 

Healing the Waters of Jericho, 

The Curse upon Jericho, 

Valley of Rephaim — Rachel's Death, 

Excursion from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, 

Rachel's Toml) — Ramah, . . 

Bethlehem, .... 

The Valley of the Shepherds, 

David— Ruth, . . 

The Well at Bethlehem, 

Journey of the Holy Family to Jerusalem, 

Convent at Bethlehem, 

The Church of St. Mary, 

Chapel of the Nativity, 

The Pools of Solomon, . . 

The Gardens of Solomon, 

Mosque of Omar, . . 

Farewell Visits, 

King David's Ascent of Olivet, . 

Incidents on Olivet, . . . 

Valleys of Jehoshaphat and Hinnom, 

Armenian Church and Convent, 

Departure from Jerusalem — Farewell, ' . 

A Vision of the Past, 

The Golden Age of Jerusalem, . 

Decline of Jerusalem, 

Advent of Christ — Fall of Jerusalem, 

Tomb of Samuel — Ramah — Beer, 



Journey from Jerusalem to Nazareth : 
Bethel— Shiloh, . 



contents. xiii 

PAGE 

Shiloh— Lebonah, . . . . . . . .148 

Nablous — The Lepers, . . . . . . . . .149 

The Samaritans — Gerizim, . . . ■ . • . .150 

View from Gerizim, . . . . . . . . . 151 

Jacob's Well, . . - . . . . . . . . 152 

Joseph's Tomb — Animal Sacrifice, . . . . . . .153 

The Great Atonement, - . . . . . . . . 154 

Triumph of the Lamb, . . . . . . .155 

Samaria, . . . . . . . . . . . 155 

A Sulky Arab— First Sight of Sebaste, . . . . . .156 

The Ruins of Samaria, . . . . . . . .157 

Encampment at Jenin, . . . . . . . .158 

Esdraelon — Incident, . . . . . . . . .159 

The Benevolent Monk of Nazareth, . . . . . . .160 

Mount Carmel — Convent of Elijah, ....... 161 

Carmel, ........... 161 

Beautiful Site of Nazareth, . . . . . . . .162 

Nazareth, ........... 162 

Habitation of the Holy Family, . . . . . . .163 

An Improbable Tradition, . . . . . . . .164 

Thoughts by Mary's Fountain, . . . . . . .165 

The Youth of Jesus, . . . . . . . . .166 

Journey from Nazareth through Galilee, 

Farewell to Nazareth, . . . . . . . .167 

Mount Tabor, . . . . . . . . .167 

The Ruins on Mount Tabor, . . . . . . . 168 

The View from Mount Tabor, . . . . . . . .169 

Two Armies of Cranes, . , . . . . . .170 

The Mount of Transfiguration, . , . . . . . .171 

Moses, Elias, and Christ, . . . . . . . .172 

First View of the Sea of Galilee, . . . . ; . .173 

The Cities and the Sea of Galilee, t 173 

Galilee — The Ambition of Nature, . . • . . . .174 

Chorazin — Bethsaida — Capernaum, . . . . . . .175 

Hamath — Tiberias — Magdala, . . . . . . . .176 

The Pit of Joseph, 177 

Words of Jesus by the Way, . . . . • . . .178 

Sacred Thorn— Safed, ........ 179 

Farewell to the Land of Promise, . . . . . . .180 

Journey from the Land of Promise to Damascus, Baalbec, and Lebanon : 

Sunday near Mount Hermon, . . . . . . .182 

Arrival at Damascus, . . . . . . . .183 

Mohammedan Politeness, . . . . . . . .184 



xiv 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

A Pleasing Disappointment, . . . . . . . .185 

Classical Comfort, . . . . . . . .186 

Luxury of Damascus, . . . . . . . . .187 

St. Paul in Damascus — Abana and Pharpar, . . . . . .188 

Farewell View of Damascus, . .... . . . . 189 

Sculptured Rocks — Zebdeni, . . . . . . . .190 

First View of Baalbec, . . . . . . .191 

Baalbec, . . • . . . .... . .191 

Circular Temple at Baalbec, . . . . . . . .192 

Platform of the Great Temple, . . . . . . . .193 

Temple of the Sun at Baalbec, . . . . . . . 194 

Stone Quarry at Baalbec, . . . . . . . .195 

Lebanon, . . . . . . . . . . . 195 

Sunday Bells — Beyrout — Home, . . . . . . .196 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



TO FACE PAGE 

1. The Mount of Olives and Jeeusalem feom the Northeast, . 62 

This view exhibits Jerusalem in relation to the surrounding hills — " The hills stand 
about Jerusalem." On the left hand is the Mount of Olives, with the Church of the 
Ascension on its summit, and its sides clothed with olive trees. The deep gorge between 
this and the city is the Valley of Jehoshaphat. The small building far in, with the 
cupola top, is the Tomb of Absalom. The Garden of Gethsemane is near the bottom 
of the valley, and out of sight, on the side of the Tomb of Absalom. Beyond is the 
Hill of Offence, and the Hill of Evil Counsel. The building in the city, with the large 
dome, is the Mosque of Omar ; and the dark building, apparently on the city wall to the 
left, is the Mosque of El Aksa. The whole space included by the walls at that angle, 
is the beautiful open space now called the Haram Es Shereef, the ancient site of Solomon's 
Temple. The farthest gate in the wall, in front of the Mosque of Omar, is the Golden 
gate, now closed, and alluded to on page 90. The gate nearer to the observer is St. 
Stephen's gate. The road travelled by camels and foot passengers leads from Anathoth. 
Farther off, on the right, are persons entering the city by the Damascus gate, on the 
road leading to Nablous and Nazareth. To the extreme right is the Hill of Scopus, and 
beyond it lies the path by which we entered the city, leading to the Jaffa gate, which is 
near the large square tower of Hippicus. The mass of buildings with a cupola, seeming 
to be embraced as in a triangle by three minarets, is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. 
Not far from the tower of Hippicus, but too small to be visible, is the English Church 
on Mount Zion. The building with a cupola on the left is the Armenian Church and 
Convent of St. James. Beyond this are the hills in the direction of Bethlehem. Bethany 
is on the left of the picture, out of sight, on the slope of the Mount of Olives. 

2. The Garden of Gethsemane, 68 

This is a good representation of the present appearance of the ancient olive trees, 
but gives the idea of greater extent than is actually covered by the garden. It is now 
inclosed in walls. The city wall is upon the right, the dome of the Mosque of Omar 
just peeping over the top. The Golden gate is beneath the battlements on the wall. 
The small, light colored building down in the centre, is Absalom's Tomb. Beyond 
the village of Siloam, and farther still, high up, are the ruins of the house of Annas, the 
High Priest, on the Hill of Evil Counsel. On the left are buildings upon the lower part 
of the Mount of Olives. 



xvi 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



3. Ohuech of the Holy Sepulchre, 74 

This gives a correct view of the court in front of the main entrance to the Church of 
the Holy Sepulchre. The low arched doorway leading to this court is not seen, but is 
towards the left side of the picture. The square tower belongs to the church. The 
people are going in at the main entrance. The collection of churches and chapels united 
together under a common roof, and the convents extend far back to the right and left. 



4. Fields of Bethany, 82 

The spectator is supposed to be looking towards Bethany from the East. The village 
lies upon the slope of a hill. The square building next to the uppermost in the village, 
is pointed out as the House of Lazarus. An apocryphal tradition of course. Beyond, 
and not in sight, is the place pointed out as the tomb. The buildings on the high hill 
are on the top of the Mount of Olives. Beyond and below is Jerusalem, shut out by the 
Mount. 

5. Arch in the Yia Dolorosa, 102 

This is a part of the street through which our Lord was led from the House of the 
Roman Governor to Calvary, and therefore called "the sorrowful way." The arch is the 
arcade of the Ecce Homo, so called from a tradition altogether improbable, if not impos- 
sible, that it was here Pontius Pilate presented our Lord to the enraged multitude, when 
he said, " Behold the man ! " The drawing gives a very accurate representation of what 
you see constantly in Jerusalem. 



6. The Kiver Jordan, 120 

The banks of the Jordan are lined with trees and shrubs ; amongst them the willow 
prevails. The river is always rapid. The bathing place is one of the most beautiful 
parts of it. The river is here about thirty feet wide, and is supposed to be the place 
where our Lord was baptized by John. The number of pilgrims when we were there, 
was much greater than is here represented. 



7. Bethlehem, 125' 

Bethlehem is on the side of a hill. The road winds up to the village, and you enter 
it by the arched way on the right. The high walls built up from the valley, with the 
square tower inside, are the churches and convents covering the place of the nativity. 
The small square tower on the left hand, on the slope of a hill, is a watchtower to guard 
the vineyards and oliveyards. Beyond is seen the place where the shepherds are sup- 
posed to have been watching their flocks by night. The hills beyond are the mountains 
of Engedi, and in that direction is the Dead Sea. The village rises up beyond the edge 
of the picture on the right, and in that direction is the road to the Pools of Solomon and 
to Hebron. 



8. Shrine of the Nativity, . 132 

On the left hand is the place of the Nativity, and on the right the recess of the 
manger. The lamps are of richly chased silver, and are kept burning night and day. 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



XVII 



9. Inclosure of the Temple, Jerusalem, . 135 

A very accurate picture of the Mosque of Omar, and its beautiful inclosure, called the 
Haram Es Shereef, or " the Holy, the Noble." The Mosque el Aksa, once a Christian 
Church, is the farthest building. On the left hand is the Mount of Olives, crowned with 
the Church of the Ascension. The Golden gate is in the wall at the left hand. The 
right hand is the line of cloistered buildings for schools, and the residences of the Der- 
vishes and Santons of the Mosque. This is supposed to be the site of Solomon's Temple. 



10. Pool of Hezekiah, Jerusalem, 141 

In 2. Kings xx. 20, we read, that among "the acts of King Hezekiah and his might, 
he made a pool and a conduit, and brought water into the city." This reservoir answers 
the description, and is probably the work of this king. It is now called by the people 
of Jerusalem, Birket el Hummam, or the Pool of the Bath, because it supplies a bath in 
the vicinity. But the picture is here introduced because it gives a correct view of a 
portion of the city, and a good idea of the prevailing style of domestic architecture. 
Wood being scarce, the roofs are of stone and cemented, and are almost universally sur- 
mounted by oven-shaped domes, the better to carry off the rain. The tops of the houses 
are therefore resorted to constantly, when the sun is not oppressive, and from them fine 
views are obtained of the city, and the surrounding hills, as in this case. In the back> 
ground, crowned with the Church of the Ascension, is the Mount of Olives. Lower 
down in the city, at the right hand, is the dome and upper part of the Mosque of Omar. 
On the extreme left are the tower and domes of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. 

11. Mount G-erizim and the Yale of Nablous, ........ 150 

The spectator is supposed to be upon a part of Mount Ebal, which fills up the right 
hand of the picture. On the left is Mount Gerizim. These two remarkable hills, stand- 
ing at the opening of the valley, and as it were defying each other, the one the mount 
of blessing, the other of cursing, are each about eight hundred feet high, and not actually 
as far apart as the view might lead one to suppose. On the top of Gerizim is seen a 
small Mohammedan Wely, and not far from it is the place where the Samaritans perform 
their annual sacrifice. The city seen in the valley is about two miles distant, and is now 
called Nablous, by the Romans Neapolis, and in the New Testament Sychar. (See John 
iv. 5.) The valley is exceedingly beautiful and fertile, the hills abrupt and barren. 

12. Jacob's Well at Sychar, 152 

On the right and left are portions of Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim. In the fore- 
ground, upon a low mound rising from the level plain, is the opening beneath which are 
found the remains of Jacob's Well. There was formerly, probably, a porch over it, sup- 
ported by columns, but it has been gradually covered up by an accumulation of earth. 
Now it is as seen in the print, only we found the hole covered over with a large stone, 
which we had to remove. My friend descended a short distance, and found the remains 
of columns, and was satisfied, by throwing stones down, that the well was deep, and water 
still there. There is little doubt but that here is the representation of a spot where our 
Lord uttered some of the most impressive words of His doctrine. Pointing to the ground 
which rises on the left, He said, : ' Woman, believe me, the hour cometh when ye shall 
neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father." " God is a Spirit, 
and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." Upon the right 



XVH1 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



TO FACE PAGE 

hand is seen a white, dome-covered edifice. This is a Mohammedan structure, but it is 
reverenced as the site of Joseph's Tomb. (See Joshua xxiv. 32.) 

13. The Hill of Samaria, 156 

The ruins of the capital of Samaria, Sebaste, are here seen from the road usually 
taken from Nablous. But our approach to it was by a less frequented path on the left, 
and near the base of the hill. This accounts for its being at first hidden from us. As 
here seen, the view is exceedingly imposing. The chancel end of the Church of St. John 
the Baptist is still in tolerable preservation, the remainder is in ruins. In a vault beneath 
is supposed to be the place where the Baptist was beheaded. The city, which was 
greatly enlarged and adorned by Herod, covered a large part of the hill. Ruins are seen 
all around, and in many places pillars of former colonnades are standing. 

14. Plain of Esdraelon from Jenin, 158 

This is a most extensive and beautiful plain, very fertile, cultivated in parts, but with 
very few villages upon it. It is inclosed by mountains whose names are familiar words. 
The mountains of Gilboa and the Little Hermon are in the distance, on the right. 
Those in which Nazareth is situated are in the centre, and on the left is the long line of 
Carmel, The promontory where the Prophet resided, and which juts out into the Medi- 
terranean, is in a line with the lofty palm trees. The depressed line of the horizon, be- 
tween the ranges of the Nazareth mountains and Carmel, is where the ancient river 
Kishon, after traversing the valley, finds its way to the Mediterranean Sea. 

The accessories of this picture are worthy of notice. On the right is a tall structure 
like a column. This is a minaret, and there is a staircase winding up inside, which lands 
upon the projecting gallery near the top. Upon this gallery the muezzin comes out to 
proclaim the stated hours of prayer. The small, dome-covered buildings are the tombs 
■of Shekhs, or holy persons, at which the Mohammedans are accustomed to pray. On 
the left hand, in the foreground, is a good representation of the prickly pear. The camels 
are seen in all the positions which this animal takes. In the front, one is on the ground 
ready to be loaded, unloaded, or mounted, as described in page 10. 

15. Nazareth, looking towards the Plain of Esdraelon, . . .162 

This is the appearance of Nazareth as seen from one of the hills by which this place 
is surrounded. The spectator is supposed to be looking toward the southeast. On the 
right hand, in the distance, is the Plain of Esdraelon, shut in by the mountains of 
Ephraim. Toward the centre are the mountains of Gilboa. Tabor is situated out of 
the picture, and beyond it on the left. The large building contains the Church and Con- 
vent upon the site of the house of Joseph and Mary. The Virgin's Fountain is in the 
valley, not in sight, but in the direction a little to the right of the large tree in the fore- 
ground. 

16. Mount Tabor, looking towards Gilboa and the Jordan, . . 168 

Tabor appears thus, as seen from the high grounds a little to the north and west of 
Nazareth. You here get a correct idea of its summit of table-land. It presents a dif- 
ferent contour as seen from the opposite direction, but is always an insulated mountain. 
The mountains of Gilboa are in the distance, on the right hand, and the dark portion is 



ILLTJSTKATIONS. 



XIX 



TO FACE PAGE 



the Little Hermon. In the centre of the picture, to the right and left of Tabor, the light- 
colored line represents the valley through which the Jordan runs. Beyond this line, in 
the background, are the hills on the farther side of the valley of the Jordan, in the region 
of Batanea, or Decapolis. 



This is all that remains of a city whose name would, in all probability, have disap- 
peared from notice, but for the miracle wrought there by our blessed Saviour, in raising 
the widow's son to life. The mountain upon the right is a part of the Little Hermon. 
Endor, where Saul visited the woman with a familiar spirit, is a little to the northeast of 
Nain, and therefore is beyond the rising ground on which this city was built, and out of 
sight. Tabor, from whose summit we saw Nain and Endor, is upon the left. The valley 
unites with the Plain of Esdraelon, and here are the sources of the ancient river Kishon. 



The Lake of Tiberias, or the Sea of Galilee, is here seen in nearly its whole extent. 
It stretches a little farther to the south, which is at the right hand of the picture, and 
here the river Jordan makes its escape. This stream enters at the northerly part of the 
Lake, and its point of entrance, and passage-way through the mountains, may be seen 
at about a third of the length of the picture, from the left. Directly over, in the far 
distance, amongst the clouds, is the snow-clad summit of the Greater Hermon. The city 
of Tabarieh, or Tiberias, is the only place that can be made out in the whole circuit of 
the Lake. All is desolate. A sail is here represented. It may be that of the only boat 
we heard of, but we saw no single thing floating upon the waters. A smoke upon the 
opposite shores may occasionally rise up as here, but we saw nothing of the kind. In 
other respects you have an accurate representation of this sheet of water, so still and 
desolate, yet so beautiful in itself, and so interesting from its association with our 
blessed Lord. 



Nain, 



170 



The Lake of Tibekias, 



174 



'ournnj torn (%]pt ta tyt Utolg limit. 



CAIRO. 

Camp in the Desert, March 24, 1849. 
Here in the midst of the wilderness of Shur, and on the fourth night of our 
living in tents, I begin a letter to you to be finished on the way, and sent 
from Jerusalem, if we do not meet with an earlier opportunity. The previous 
evenings of our journey since leaving Cairo, I have been so fatigued with 
camel-riding, that I have been glad to lie down to sleep as soon as our tent was 
pitched and supper over. I wrote to you last from Cairo, telling you of our 
successful voyage on the Nile, our visit to Thebes, and of the deep interest 
with which we should now turn our faces toward the Holy Land, as soon as 
we heard that you were all well and comfortable at Kome. This cheering 
intelligence your last letters gave us, and we then in good earnest made our 
preparations to reach what was, after all, the chief object of interest to us in 
our Eastern pilgrimage. We procured our tents, leather water-bottles, casks, 
provisions, and all the other equipage needful for our desert life ; and having 
engaged our camels and dromedaries, we saw them loaded and sent before us 
on the afternoon of Tuesday, March 20th, to the distance of some ten or twelve 
miles, there to encamp for the night. This precaution is taken in order that 
if any thing material should have been overlooked, the discovery may be 
made, and a messenger sent back to the city to procure it ; because when once 
beyond the reach of Cairo, and fairly on the desert, the traveller must depend 

1 



2 



THE EABEWELL. 



for tlie comforts, and even the necessaries for Lis journey, upon what his fore- 
cast has provided, with the exception of the precarious supply of a few articles 
of food which he may obtain from some poor and scattered villages, or from a 
tribe of wandering Arabs. 

We now bade farewell to the friends to whom we had been indebted for 
constant attention and many acts of kindness: To Dr. Abbott, whom we had 
seen almost daily, and whose most valuable and interesting collection of 
Egyptian antiquities had been thrown open to us at all times. This, if not 
the largest in the world, is, I suspect, the most various, and contains more 
unique curiosities than any other, and would be well worth transferring to some 
public institution of our country : '• To Mr. Miirray, the British Consul General, 
who formerly travelled in the United States, and left there a very favorable 
impression, and who has published a very graphic description of his visit to 
our western prairies: To our own worthy Consul General Mr. Macauley, at 
whose official introduction to Abbas Pasha we had been present by his invi- 
tation: To the Eev. Mr. Lieder, the missionary of the Church of England 
Society, so long and favorably known for his faithful and efficient labors; 
and to his excellent wife, who, having travelled the route we were about to 
take, most kindly and thoughtfully wrote out for us brief hints and directions. 

On Wednesday morning we mounted our donkeys, and made our way along 
the crooked streets of the city, most of them so narrow, that two persons 
passing on horseback would leave hardly room for a third on foot, and through 
a lively, motley crowd of turbaned men and veiled women on foot and on 
donkeys, with strings of loaded camels stalking along and threatening to 
squeeze us to the walls, and hundreds of mangy dogs running about or lying 
asleep in our very path, our attendants calling out all the time, to put us on our 
guard or to clear the way, "riglak," thy foot" "yemenak," to thy right, "shima- 
lak," to thy left. We went out by the beautiful gateway Bab e' Nusr, or Grate 
of Yictory, over which there is an inscription, said to be in the Cufic lan- 
guage, which is translated, "There is no (rod but (rod; Mohammed is the 
Apostle of God, and Ali the friend of God. May the Divine favor be on 
both." After a pleasant ride of about two hours over a level and fertile 



THE VIEGm's WELL AND THE STCAMOEE. 



3 



country we came to Matareeh, anciently known as Heliopolis, and in Scripture 
as On in the Book of Genesis, and in the prophet Jeremiah, Bethshemesh, or 
the City of the Sun. But just before arriving there we turned aside a short 
distance through an enclosed field and garden to see the place where, according 
to the traditions of the oriental Christians, the Holy Family on one occasion 
rested, when Joseph ' arose and took the young child and his mother by night 
and departed into Egypt.' Here is a well of water, said to have been salt 
originally, but which became fresh when the Blessed Yirgin needed to drink 
from it, and has continued so ever since; we certainly drew from it a very 
grateful draught after our long ride. 

Near to the well we were pointed to a sycamore-tree of a very peculiar 
shape. It is not high or round, but of great width, as if a stunted tree of 
enormous girth had been pressed out laterally, or as if several of such trees 
springing up side by side had grown together, leaving recesses like rough niches 
in a wall of solid wood, with a few gnarled branches growing out above. This 
tree, it is said, opened itself to give shelter to the infant Saviour. Whether or 
not the tradition is founded on fact, there are, of course, no possible means of 
ascertaining. That the tree, as it now stands, is of very great age, there can be 
no manner of doubt ; and that its roots may have borne previous growths, one 
of which might have been flourishing when the Holy Family came down into 
Egypt, and might have sheltered them beneath its branches, and thus given rise 
to the legend, is by no means impossible. At any rate I looked at it, sat 
beneath it, and meditated upon the incident associated with it, if not in a state 
of undoubting faith, certainly without encouraging a cold and sneering skepti- 
cism. And thus I mean to receive all traditions connected with sacred places 
in the land whither I am going. When no obvious improbability obliges a 
rational mind to reject them, I shall suffer them to draw the imagination, to 
direct the train of reflections, and, as I trust, to warm and encourage the devout 
affections. 

But this story, which would account for the sweetening of the brackish 
water of the " Fountain of the Sun," as it was once called, but now " of the Yir- 
gin," I feel bound to say that I have no faith in, inasmuch as at this distance from 



4 



THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT. 



the Nile its waters would very naturally ooze through the sandy soil, and in 
fact, other wells of fresh water are found in the neighborhood at a depth of 
from sixteen to twenty feet. The tradition also says that the Holy Family 
having rested and refreshed themselves, directed their journey over the ground 
we have just travelled, and made their permanent abode during the lifetime of 
Herod at Musr el Ateekeh, or Old Cairo, about three miles south from the 
modern Cairo, and the site, or near the site of Babylon in Egypt. Here, in 
the Greek monastery dedicated to St. Sergius, is shown the Chapel which it is 
said stands upon the place where they dwelt. On each side of the High Altar 
a flight of some ten or twelve steps leads to a subterraneous cave or grotto 
about twenty feet long and twelve wide, and this, the tradition says, was their 
abiding place until ' an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in 
Egypt, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the 
land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life. And 
he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of 
Israel,' most probably through the tract of country over which is to be our 
pilgrimage. 

The route we are upon for the Holy Land may, therefore, be the same, and 
certainly is in the same direction with that which the sons of Jacob took on 
their going down to buy corn in Egypt. But what gives it a far deeper interest 
to us at this time from the course of thought suggested by the traditions of 
which I have just spoken, is, that this pathway may once have been trodden by 
Joseph and the humble animal that bore the Blessed Virgin with the infant 
Saviour resting in her arms. 



THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT. 

Of the Flight into Egypt, the briefest possible account is given us by the sa- 
cred historian, and there remains no other authentic record of this remarkable 
event in the life of the child Jesus, except that which is left us, in few words, and 
by only one of the evangelists. The circumstances of the sacred journey, there- 



REFLECTIONS BY THE WAY. 



5 



fore, are almost as great a mystery to us, as the wonderful command from the 
skies, ' Behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to J oseph in a dream, saying, 
Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt.' A thou- 
sand interesting thoughts cluster around the Holy Family on their way, and in 
this weary banishment from their native land ; but it is the sacred love within 
us, for every spot once blest by the earthly presence of the Lord, rather than 
actual history, which must guide us here. From the fountain of our own souls 
we must be fain to quench our thirst, since there is here no broad river to make 
glad the City of God. And, perhaps, it is a fitting thing that we should know 
little of so sad an event as the early exile of the Only -begotten Son of God, 
from the only chosen land of God. How touching a commentary upon the 
words of the beloved disciple, is this flight from the Land of Promise back 
again, as we may almost feel, into the Land of Bondage I ' He came unto His 
own, and His own received Him not ;' ' He was in the world, and the world 
was made by Him, and the world knew Him not.' He who gave to the foxes 
their holes, and to the birds of the air their nests, had not where to lay His 
head ; but while even vile ones of the dishonorable world had vast possessions 
upon its surface, there was not a spot upon the dusty atom which its Maker 
and Master could call His own. The plan of mercy seems indeed a mystery, 
and the cross a contradiction ; unto the Jew a stumbling-block, and unto the 
Greek foolishness. 

Yet, how many Christian hearts, through the ages, have mused upon the 
flight into Egypt, until the sacred fire was kindled within them j till burning 
thoughts demanded utterance of the tongue, and devout and glowing pictures 
in the soul sought their pious expression from the pencil ! Who has not seen, in 
thought, this humble but holy band going forth upon their exile, with sorrow 
indeed, but chastened by a lively hope? In His mother's heart lies a rich 
treasure of promises and prophecies, which she has heard from the lips of aged 
saints on the earth and archangels from heaven, from Simeon and from Gabriel. 
The one announced, and the other waited for, the consolation of Israel. What 
matter, then, if He who shall purchase our redemption from a worse than 
Egyptian slavery, is Himself, for a short period, brought into the house of bond- 



6 



THE EUINS OF HELIOPOLIS. 



age ? It was necessary that the Captain of our Salvation should be made per- 
fect through sufferings ; and the Sun of Israel must shine forth from the night 
of Egypt. By the same way that the child Joseph was taken a slave into 
Egypt, that he might go before the people of Grod to preserve the lives of many, 
by that way must the child J esus be carried, on the threshold of a life into 
which he entered, not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to supply the 
famine of the earth with bread from heaven. On these things ponders the 
faithful and affectionate heart of the mother of our Lord, consoled by the 
thought, that as one of the great ancestors of Israel went through the desert of 
exile and suffering to his glory in Egypt, so shall the infant on her bosom, ful- 
filling in patience His period of banishment from home and heaven, return to 
his purchased possession of glory in the paradise of God. These footsteps of 
suffering let us trace and follow: to this reward let us also aspire, until our 
exile in the land of bondage being ended, we may gird up our loins, take our 
staff in our hand, and march gladly out of Egypt for the Land of Promise. 



HELIOPOLIS — GrOSHEN. 

The site of Heliopolis is indicated by considerable mounds of rubbish, 
smoothed over by time, and containing quantities of crude brick, and reddish frag- 
ments of earthenware vessels. These evidences of once peopled cities we observed 
in many places on our route, and here, as the only vestiges of the habitations 
of a people once famous for arts and learning, for wealth and luxury, but sunk 
in gross idolatry, they brought to mind the prophet's denunciation : ' Woe unto 
him that striveth with his Maker. Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds 
of the earth. Shall the clay say to Him that fashioneth it, What makest thou ? 
They shall be ashamed and confounded, all of them : they shall go to confusion 
together that are makers of idols.' As the brittle potsherds of these heaps 
have been broken to pieces, so the works of idolatrous man, massive, well- 
founded, and beautiful as they were, are now so utterly destroyed, that scarce a 
trace of them can be found. There is, indeed, one remarkable monument re- 
maining, as if to prove what magnificence of architecture must once have 



OBELISK MIKAGE OF THE DESERT. 



7 



adorned the Temple of the Sun. It is a noble obelisk, about six feet square at 
the base, and rising more than sixty feet above the level of the ground, stand- 
ing erect upon its original site. Its whole height cannot be ascertained, as its 
base and pedestal have been covered up to a considerable depth by gradual ac- 
cumulations of earth. Probably this was one of a pair which stood like majes- 
tic guards on each side of the entrance to the Temple ; and it is said to be of 
the age of Osirtasen L, the Pharaoh who reigned when Joseph came into Egypt. 
The hieroglyphics with which it is inscribed are now legible in but few spots, 
as it is covered with the cells of a species of bee, or wasp, which have the ap- 
pearance of a coating of brown mud, dried in the sun. Swarms of these insects 
were flying around the shaft, from top to bottom, who seemed to guard it as 
their own property; and they certainly gave to it — standing as it does in the 
midst of a cultivated garden — a less striking appearance than if it stood soli- 
tary upon the naked sand. 

After leaving this only remarkable vestige of a city, once famous for its 
temples and its learning ; where Joseph found his wife, the daughter of Poti- 
pherah, priest of On, and where Moses probably was instructed in all the wisdom 
of Egypt, we continued our ride through a green and cultivated land, probably 
a part of the land of Goshen, which stretched away on the left as far as the eye 
could see. To the right, however, we got glimpses of the desert, and, as we 
went on, its yellow, sultry sands seemed to encroach upon us more and more. 
But these sands were not, surely, the borders of the wide desert, for occasionally 
we saw lakes of smooth water, with groves of palm-trees on their banks, and 
then basins of the sea, with low promontories of sand almost encircling them ; 
and beyond, in the far horizon, the long line of the sea itself, all becalmed; 
the outlines of water and of sand, however, sometimes changing more fre- 
quently than our slow progress would account for. This, then, was the mirage 
of the desert, we had so often heard of; and certainly, so perfect is the illusion, 
that reason as you please, and assure yourself over and over that by no possi- 
bility can there be actual water where you are looking, you cannot undeceive 
the eye. 

Another circumstance now occurred, as if to impress us more strongly with 



8 



THE LOCUSTS AND THE LAND OF GOSHEN. 



the feeling that we were travelling amongst scenes of Scripture history. Im- 
mense flights of locusts occasionally filled the air, and dropped in multitudes 
around us, and upon the fields of green things, which they would quickly con- 
sume, but were driven off by the loud cries of men and boys, set to guard 
against them. They would light like countless flocks of birds, and rise again 
when scared away, flying a short distance ; and when in the air, the sun shining 
upon their wings would give them the semblance of a flurry of snow upon a 
gusty day. We could easily imagine what grievous pests they must be when 
they appear, as they sometimes do, in clouds that darken all the air, and spread 
themselves far and wide, so that no noise or violence can drive them away ; and 
what a fearful instrument in the hands of the Almighty, when he sent them as 
one of his plagues upon the land of Egypt, to eat ' every herb of the land.' 

"We continued our route, its interest, I may say, increasing at every step, for 
on our left, the green fields of mingled pasturage and heavy crops, as of barley, 
wheat, and flax, with groves of palms and fig-trees interspersed, showed us that 
the land was still as when Pharaoh said to Joseph, ' In the best of the land 
make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Groshen let them dwell.' 
On the right were the barren sand-hills of the desert, drawing nearer and nearer 
to us, to warn us of the toilsome pilgrimage we must make ere we can reach 
that better and more beautiful land' — not only 1 a land of wheat and barley, and 
vines, and fig-trees, and pomegranates, but a land of brooks of water, of foun- 
tains, and depths that spring out of valleys and hills.' 

At El Khanka we found our camels, with their keepers and the other attend- 
ants, all prepared and waiting for us. "We paid the men and boys who had ac- 
companied us with their donkeys from Cairo, and received their thanks with 
their farewell salutations, which were given after the Egyptian method, by kiss- 
ing our hands and pressing them to their foreheads. Our last link with the city 
where, we had seen and enjoyed so much was now severed, and we fairly entered 
upon the wearisome though interesting road which lay before us, anxious if 
possible to get up to the city of Zion in time to celebrate there our Paschal 
Feast. 



LOADING THE CA3JLEL. 



9 



TRAVELLING IN THE DESERT. 

But, as a new mode of conveyance is to be tried, and one of which yon have 
had no experience, a brief description of it may not prove uninteresting. 
The first undertaking is to mount the camel. This proved to us an easier task 
than we had anticipated. You have heard of both camels and dromedaries, 
and perhaps suppose them to be different, but they are precisely the same 
species of quadruped, only the dromedary is selected for riding, as having an 
easier gait. The difference is that which we find between a saddle horse and a 
cart horse. When you are preparing to mount, the animal, whose head is up 
in the air beyond your reach, is taken by the halter, and the keeper makes a 
quick succession of sounds like hawking from the upper part of the throat. 
This brings him unwillingly upon his knees, then his haunches, and he gra- 
dually gets upon his belly, with his awkward legs and cushioned feet beneath 
him. Then the saddle, which is a wooden frame padded, and fitting upon the 
hump, with pommels like short round posts about eight inches high before and 
behind, is filled out with cushions, spare coats and cloaks, or with the bed- 
matress, and the whole covered with a thick soffc carpet, shaped like a hearth 
rug, thrown across, called in Arabic a segadeh, or prayer carpet ; because the 
Mussulman uses it at home, and carries it with him in travelling to stand and 
kneel upon at his frequent devotions, and for this purpose there is on its surface 
the figure of a niche, to remind him of the niche in the mosque towards which 
he prays as making him look in the direction of Mecca. This we found a very 
useful and comfortable article, not only to ride upon, but also to lay in our 
tents or spread upon the sand when we wished to rest. Thus arranged, the 
rude saddle changed into a broad pillion-like seat, with pommels before and 
behind to hold on by, and with stirrups fastened to the front one, you may ride 
as on horseback. You can take other positions, however, seating yourself lady- 
fashion, or with both legs on either side of the camel, or else turn completely 
round and ride backward, or if you have dexterity and suppleness enough, you 
may sit cross-legged like a Turk. Thus you may face to or from the wind or 
the sun, or change posture for relief, and this, together with being raised up 



10 



MOUNTING THE CAMEL. 



nine feet, and above the effects of the sand, and in a free current of air, gives 
the camel great advantages over the donkey or the horse as an animal for 
crossing the desert, in addition to its essential qualification in the power of 
enduring thirst for successive days. But to the mounting. Here, however, the 
growling of one of the camels near the tent in which I am writing, reminds me 
that I have omitted to mention that all the while your saddle is preparing or 
the load being put on, the surly animal keeps up a constant grumbling and 
snarling, turning his head back by means of his long supple neck, and showing 
his teeth, as if he would bite you, which he very rarely has the courage to do. 
He seems to be complaining bitterly, and showing all the resentment he dares at 
your treatment of him ; and your pity might be excited for him, but you find 
that it makes no difference whether your load is light or heavy, and after it is 
put on, if you only attempt to adjust a rope or throw on your cloak, he begins 
his complaints again. All being prepared, you take your seat while the animal 
is still on the ground, and are told to hold on fast — a caution by no means 
useless — for as he raises himself up on his haunches, then his knees, and 
at last gets to his feet, you are in danger of being thrown over his head, or over 
his tail, or off on one side. When he is fairly up you feel safe after a little 
while, though at a somewhat giddy elevation to one who had been accustomed 
only to a horse or a donkey. Your ship of the desert (as some poet, after the 
Arabs, has fancied to call it) now gets under way, and considering the smooth 
sea it has to cross, it is certainly a very uneasy craft, for moving the two oars, 
as we must call the legs, on the same side alternately, your body is jerked 
forward at each stroke, as if you were making a succession of quick ungainly 
bows, and you have no change of motion or rest till you come to anchor for 
the night, except when you lay by for half an hour in the middle of the day. 
After the ride of the first two days I was excessively tired ; never, I think, was 
I so completely exhausted by fatigue before. Now, however, having discovered 
that our dragoman was riding an easier dromedary than mine, which he had 
cunningly taken for himself, I made him exchange with me, and thus got along 
with comparative comfort. We carry with us a canvas tent, bought in Cairo, 
about sixteen feet in diameter, for our own use, with a smaller one for the cook 



PILGKIMS TO JEKUSALEM. 



11 



and dragoman. We have also camp-beds, a table and stools, boxes and pan- 
niers for kitchen apparatus, with charcoal for fuel, provisions, and as articles of 
prime consideration, casks and leather bags for water. All this is a load for five 
camels, which, with three dromedaries to ride on, make up our cavalcade, or 
more properly speaking, camelcade. 

To our own we have the agreeable addition of another party, consisting of 
my friend the Rev. Mr. Spencer, and Mr. Pratt, an intelligent and well-educated 
young gentleman, with whom he is travelling, who have with them nine camels, 
and thus we make quite a considerable caravan, although small enough compared 
with those which often cross the desert. "We left Cairo together for companion- 
ship, and also for mutual protection. This last reason brought into our 
company six pilgrims from India, who came from the Punjaub to Mecca, from 
thence to Cairo, and who are now on their way to Jerusalem, whence, having 
performed their devotions at the mosque of Omar, they will return home. 
And all this tedious circuit they make on foot with nothing but the scanty and 
worn clothes they have on, a staff in their hand, and a bag and a gourd to carry 
their small supply of food and water. Yet they are patient and cheerful, and 
grateful for the notice we take of them. They walk along, usually at some 
distance from us during the day, but as the sun declines they come near, to 
learn where we are about to encamp. When we stop they prepare to rest near 
us, and light a fire with the dry shrubs which they pick from the desert, and 
make a low hedge of the same to protect them from the wind; after their 
evening prayers, which they are very punctual in performing, they eat their 
simple meal, lay down on the sand and sleep, and start with us in the morning, 
with their thin clothing at times all wet with the dew till the sun dries it. 

LIFE IN THE DESERT. 

Of desert life you may get some idea by the description of a day's work; 
and I will take this very one. We rose at a little past five o'clock, and opening 
the curtain of our tent, found our camp already in motion. The camels had 
risen from the circle in which they are tethered for the night to keep them safe, 



12 



LIFE IN THE DESEET. 



and were browsing upon the coarse and bitter shrubs with which the desert is 
here dotted over, in small scattered clumps. Our cook was kindling his fire of 
charcoal to boil our tea-kettle, and cook our eggs ; our dragoman was coming 
with his tin basins of water, in small quantities however, as too precious to be 
used for washing. Soon the sun rose beautifully, as from a horizon of the sea, 
and our friends and their attendants, their camels and tents, at a short distance 
from us, standing on the dead unbroken level of the desert, and contrasted only 
with its dwarfish shrubs, seemed grown to double size since the night before, 
and our pilgrim companions were like six giants, stalking off across the plain. 
While we were washing and making our simple toilet in the fresh invigorating 
air, our dragoman was employed in moving our folding table from the tent, and 
spreading it outside, for our breakfast. This was soon served ; and, as we were 
eating, all our attendants were occupied in striking our tents, packing our house- 
hold stufij and collecting and loading our grumbling camels. This is no small job, 
and ordinarily takes more than an hour. With our best exertions we did not 
get ready to start before seven o'clock. Our friends were ready at the same 
time, and mounting our dromedaries, the two trains in lengthened file turned 
back. into the track which we had left for the purpose of encamping. In 
steady, monotonous pace, of about two miles and a half an hour, we have trav- 
elled all day, till within half an hour of sunset, except that we stopped at noon 
for some thirty minutes to eat our lunch. The camel needs no bating and no 
breathing time, but when once started will move along in his even stride the 
whole day, patiently, and without repining, with no refreshment but a chance 
mouthful of a bitter shrub which he may crop by the way. All his sulkiness 
is shown at starting ; and when he stops for the night he is content with a 
small mess of beans, and once in five or six days, with a draught of brackish 
water. So, with all his ungainliness, stupidity and querulous temper, and his 
destitution above all domestic animals of qualities to draw human sympathies, 
he is invaluable for the desert, and there is nothing to supply his place. We 
begin now to look about for a suitable place to encamp, and having found one, 
the line of march is broken, the camels are brought together, made to lie down, 
and unloaded. In a little more than half an hour our movable house is built, 



NIGHT-SCENE ON THE DESEET. 



13 



our carpet laid down on the sandy floor, our beds placed on each side of our 
single room, with our table between them, our candles lighted, and we at work 
reading or writing. Meantime, our cook has pitched his tent, got all his appa- 
ratus in order, and prepared our dinner, or supper rather; for now, at eight 
o'clock, the dragoman has come to announce that it is ready, and he wants to 
lay the table, so our writing materials must give place for a time. 

We have finished our meal, and I have just been outside of the tent to look 
about and enjoy a night-scene on the desert. The stars are shining out bril- 
liantly, as in a winter's sky at home, and there is not a cloud to be seen. Our 
Arabs are seated around their fire, which lights up their turbans and dark faces, 
talking and singing merrily, although they have walked all day, and between 
twenty and thirty miles, for the most part in a heavy sand. The camels are in 
a circle, resting contentedly, and craunching their hard food — a pleasant sound 
to us after the severe work we have put them to. On the other side of a small 
sandy ravine, we can see the tents of our companions and the glimmering lights 
within ; and their little camp — tents, camels and men — all painted, as it were, on 
the dingy background of the desert, by the ruddy flames shooting up once in 
a while. The pilgrims are between us, sleeping soundly, under our protection, 
beside the dying embers of their fire. The hum and bustle which have thus 
invaded a small spot in the silent waste, will soon be hushed, and we shall all 
be asleep except our watch ; for two of the men are always on guard during 
the night, and often when I wake I hear them singing in their way, in a low 
tone, their national songs. Their singing is a kind of chanting, with singular 
guttural inflections on certain notes. It has not an unpleasing effect when heard 
in the stillness of the night ; though not very musical according to our ideas of 
music. But it is time to go to rest, and prepare for our early rising and hard 
day's journey to-morrow. So we close the curtain door of our tent, put out 
our lights, think of our dear families in Eome and in America, commend them 
with ourselves to God's protection, and give ourselves up to the repose for 
which fatigue has well prepared us. 



14 



DIFFICULTY OF DESCKIBESTG. 



ASPECT OF THE DESERT. 

How difficult it is by words to depict natural scenery, so as to place it be- 
fore the mind's eye of the reader, any one must feel who has compared the 
actual look of some place, new to him, with the idea which he had previously 
formed from a description. While, therefore, I attempt a sketch, or rather a 
series of pictures, of the desert as it gradually revealed itself to me, it is with 
a faint hope of conveying to you some general impressions only, which may be 
truthful, or of removing others that are erroneous. I found that I had formed 
many inaccurate notions of what I should see, and was often struck, with ap- 
pearances quite unexpected, and even unimagined, notwithstanding the accounts 
of travellers which I had read ; and, very often too, descriptions that had con- 
veyed no distinct idea to my mind, while reading them, became glowing and 
lifelike when aided by the actual sight. In what I am about to say, then, I 
shall strive to profit by my own experience, and, when I can do so, will call in 
comparisons with what you have seen to aid me in giving you some conception 
of the general aspect of the desert. 

It is, then, neither a dead level nor a wide waste of shifting sand, or naked 
rock. While it appears in the distance, for the most part, like a flat surface, 
you find it, as you come nearer, somewhat undulating and broken, with occa- 
sionally smooth plains of coarse gravel, or hard sand, tufted with knots of grass 
and dwarf shrubs. Sometimes you descend shallow ravines, or cross low and 
lengthened hills of sand. It is much as Hempstead Plains, on Long Island, 
would look with the grassy turf removed, and I was often reminded of the region 
of country between Jamaica and Eockaway. Between El Khanka and Salahieh, 
nothing would forbid the supposition that the greater part of the land in an- 
cient times had been fertile and under cultivation. Indeed, bordering upon 
what was the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, before that outlet was choked up, a 
supply of water would be had in abundance, and this alone is wanting to restore 
vegetation. 

There are evidences, too, that the whole of this district was once thickly 



ANCIENT CITIES OF THE JEWS. 



15 



peopled. At some miles northwest of El Khanka, and again near Belbays, 
where there is now a large modern town, we passed considerable mounds, like 
those of Heliopolis. These are the ruins, doubtless, of ancient cities, and they 
bear to this day, the name Tel el Yehood, or the "Mounds of the Jews." One 
of them is supposed to mark the spot where stood that temple, built in the 
reign of Ptolemy Philometor — of which an account is given by Josephus in 
the third chapter of the thirteenth book of his Antiquities of the Jews — 
"how Onias built a temple in Egypt like to that at Jerusalem." This high 
priest, seeking a refuge from the persecutions of the Macedonians, who then 
held Jerusalem, wrote to Ptolemy and Cleopatra for permission to build this 
temple, and says in his letter: " Now I found a very fit place ; this place is full 
of materials of several sorts, and replenished with sacred animals." He alludes, 
moreover, to that remarkable passage in Isaiah, xix. 18, 'In that day shall five 
cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the 
Lord of Hosts; one shall be called the City of Destruction.' The marginal 
reading of the Bible in this place is ' the City of the Sun.' Upon this very 
striking passage Whiston, in a note, observes : "A strange name City of De- 
struction, upon so joyful an occasion, and a name never heard of in the land of 
Egypt, or perhaps in any other nation. The old reading was evidently the 
City of the Sun, or Heliopolis ; and Onkelos, in effect, and Symmachus, with 
the Arabic version, entirely confess that to be the true reading." 

The verses in Isaiah following the one above quoted, are remarkable. 1 In 
that day shall there be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, 
and a pillar at the border thereof to the Lord. And it shall be for a sign and 
a witness unto the Lord of Hosts in the land of Egypt : for they shall cry unto 
the Lord because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a Saviour, and a 
great one, and he shall deliver them.' Who this saviour would be has been a. 
question of much dispute among the commentators. One of them, Doctor Gill, 
supposes that our blessed Lord is here alluded to. Without expressing an 
opinion upon this point, however, we are assured that the Saviour was 
once bodily present in Egypt. We believe that he passed over this region, 
which was once so extensively peopled by his brethren after the flesh ; and 



16 



ENTRANCE TO THE DESERT. 



although, it had already greatly declined from its ancient prosperity, it had not 
yet become the barren and desert land which it now appears. Indeed, we have 
every reason to believe, that about the time of our Saviour's birth, the journey 
from Bethlehem down into Egypt, and back again, was accomplished with far 
less danger and privation to the poor wayfarer, than in our day. Numerous 
towns and villages then existed, the very sites of which can no longer be traced ; 
and there was doubtless a highway from place to place, much frequented in con- 
sequence of the intercourse between the Jews in Egypt and those who remained 
in their native land. Many of the former must have been passing upon that 
highway, especially on the return of the great festivals which summoned them 
to Jerusalem. 

One portion of that highway, however, was then as it always had been, and 
always must remain, " a wild, waterless, howling wilderness." At the entrance 
to this is Salaheeh. Here the traveller is obliged to lay in his supply of water 
for four days' journey, as none but bitter, brackish water, which the camels 
alone will drink, can be found beyond, and even that in but few places. At 
this station we arrived on the 23d, having travelled between seventy and eighty 
miles- in three days ; and here we halted for a while, just outside of the village. 
Our attendants were sent some little distance to fill our water-casks, and the in- 
habitants of the village came out in numbers with eggs, poultry, and dates to 
sell. Some of the leading men, also, urged us to pitch our tents there for the 
night, as we should then be more safe from an attack by some tribe of Arabs. 
But we had something of the day left, the danger of an attack we had to 
encounter sooner or later, and our past experience had taught us that it was 
more in talk than in reality. 

After obtaining our supplies, we took up our line of march and plunged at 
once into the desert. For some two or three miles a noble grove of palm-trees 
appeared in the distance, on our left, indicating that the influence of the Nile 
waters was still felt there ; but in an hour it had disappeared, and we were now, 
for the first time since leaving Cairo, utterly out of sight of the evidences of 
man's cultivating hand. The land of Groshen was all behind us, and we were 
surrounded by the barren sands. Our prospect was bounded by the sky and 



KEEPING THE PATH IN THE DESEKT. 



17 



the desert ; but, to my surprise, the latter had not the appearance of a wide, 
yellow-colored waste, nor did our camels find a wearisome footing in a soft 
sand. The whole surface was firm, and gravelly rather than sandy, covered, 
moreover, with small clumps of dwarf shrubs, and as the eye looked across the 
somewhat undulating surface, it presented the appearance of a sea of brownish 
green, on every side. 

Having selected our place for encamping, on a gently rising ground, the 
clumps of bushes were dug up, and a smooth space made for our tents. While 
thus employed, the sun set beautiful and cloudless behind the margin of an 
unbroken horizon; the twilight was soon gone, the stars came out in their 
clearest lustre, and we could see them all around, from the top to the very edge 
of the blue concave; the air was salt and bracing, like that of ocean; and 
to complete the illusion, as we looked up from our sandy footing, the sense 
of motion left by our day's sail on our ship of the desert, put us once more 
at sea. 

The next day we pursued our march for some time over the barren waste, 
our course tending more to the east. How to keep the true path would be a 
mystery to one unexperienced in desert life, especially without the aid of a com- 
pass, which I never saw used by the Arabs. Their general direction, however, 
they take from the sun and the stars, and the track is sometimes, though not 
often, marked by the footprints of caravans that have gone before. But these 
are easily obliterated. A surer indication is found in the whitened bones of 
camels which have fallen and died, and in the traces which the living animal 
leaves behind him. These marks, however, are sometimes slight, and separated 
by considerable spaces ; and occasionally, when the sand is loose, they are cov- 
ered up altogether. The camel leader (for each party of camels travels in single 
file, each tied by the halter to the trappings, and sometimes to the tail of the one 
before) follows his course without hesitation; and only once did I see the men 
at fault, and that was while crossing some hills of deep sand. 

"We now struck a wide road, banked with sand on each side, and said to 
have been constructed by Ibrahim Pasha, to facilitate the march of his army 
into Syria. Probably, however, he only restored an old road by digging out 



18 



BKIDGES RIVER SIHOR. 



the sand, for I have seen a description of this road, from the pen of a traveller, 
long before Ibrahim's day. Following this road for some time, we gradually 
lost trace of it, and passed on our left what seemed to be an inlet of the sea. 
The ground beneath us also began to be marsh-like, with here and there ponds 
of salt water ; and, in places where the water had evaporated, the ground was 
covered with a white efflorescence like fine salt ; but it was of an acrid taste, 
more like the carbonate of soda than the muriate, or common salt. "We had 
next to cross what appeared to be the sandy bed of a river, with a bridge 
thrown over it, of very ancient structure, and now almost in ruins. There were 
also, near by, the remains of two other bridges, which are supposed by some to 
indicate the place where the Pelusiac branch of the Kile emptied itself into the 
" great sea." By some it has been supposed that this is the deserted bed of the 
ancient river Sihor, mentioned by the prophet Jeremiah, when he rebukes 
Israel for their perverse ingratitude in forsaking the 1 fountain of living waters' 
and putting their trust in idols. 1 And now what hast thou to do in the way of 
Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor ?' Jeremiah ii. 18. Others, however, con- 
tend that the Sihor of the prophet is the Mle itself. But, if I may venture an 
opinion, it would rather coincide with that of those who place the Sihor farther 
north, and make it the southern boundary of the land of Canaan. This opinion 
seems to be sustained by the description of Joshua xiii. 3 : 1 From Sihor, which 
is before Egypt, unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the 
Canaanites.' But I am not geographer enough to discuss such points. The 
existence of these bridges, as it seems to me, clearly points out the spot where 
formerly the road between Egypt and Syria must have passed ; and if so, the 
probable route of the Holy Family was here. At any rate, these proofs of a fre- 
quented way naturally turned my thoughts to them. 

At the present time it is little travelled except by pilgrims to the Holy 
City; the commercial intercourse between Syria and Egypt being chiefly 
carried on by sea. The whole of this day we met but one small company of 
three or four travellers on foot. Occasionally the sense of solitude was quite 
depressing ; for no living or moving thing could be seen, beyond our caravan, 
except the lizard of the desert gliding out of our way, and now and then a 



WOESHEP IN THE DESEET. 



19 



silent, solitary, melancholy looking little bird. There was no sound but the 
measured tramp of our camels and the tinkling bell of the leader, for in the 
heat of the day the talk and song of our Arabs was stilled. The 25th was 
Sunday, and we journeyed on as usual, only making an earlier stop. The 
question of travelling on this day we had before settled in conference with our 
friend the Eev. Mr. Lieder, at Cario. We considered that to keep our camels, 
now beginning to require water, another day from the well, which was only 
some hours distance from us, would be preferring sacrifice to mercy. Our 
Lord's Day offering of Prayer and Praise we did .not however entirely omit, 
but brought it I trust with feelings not less devout than if we had been in a 
consecrated temple, and with an interest enlivened even, by the peculiarity of 
our situation. We had kept out our Bibles and Prayer Books ; and at a suita- 
ble time we contrived to make our dromedaries move on, side by side, and thus 
read together the Morning Service. I may say never did I more truly appreci- 
ate the devotional power and beauty of our responsive Liturgy, and its admirable 
adaptation to social worship, than as my friend and I thus repeated it aloud, on 
our way through the silent desert. In the afternoon, when the two trains drew 
near and halted for the night, we united with our companions in one of the 
tents, and celebrated the Evening Prayer together. 

As we drew near to Kate eh, the camels moved with a quicker step. Our 
attendants, who had been silent and almost flagging in their pace through the 
heavy sand and under a broiling sun, began to be lively and loquacious. There 
was water there — Water ! water ! or as the Arabs called out, moie hel'wa ! moie 
hel'wa ! fresh water ! fresh water ! The very sound seemed like a cooling 
breeze upon one's parched brow, and a cordial to one's fainting spirits. 

Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, 
And the tongue of the dumb shall sing ; 
For in the wilderness shall waters break out, 
And streams in the desert. — Isaiah xxxv. 6. 

No wonder that the Scriptures and Oriental poetry are full of fresh and 
invigorating allusions to brooks and streams and rivers of water ; for. whoever 



20 



WATER IN THE DESERT. 



has known the pangs of thirst in the desert, can heartily cry out from a full 
soul in such words as burst from the lips of the Greek poet, 

CCQIGTOV [18V vdmQ, 

Truly the best of things is water. 

We had not indeed been deprived of this chief necessary of life, but our 
supply had become warm and discolored, and tasted strongly of the skins and 
casks. The exclamation therefore was a cheering one to us. But if you anti- 
cipate that we are coming to a spring gushing from the earth, and running off 
in a babbling brook, fringed with green, or to a deep well from which rises a 
" moss-covered bucket," all cool and dripping, to seize hold upon with our 
swollen and heated hands and press to our parched hps, you will be disap- 
pointed in a greater degree than we were, for we had been somewhat prepared. 
The well is merely a deep pit with sides built up with bricks. It is some ten 
or twelve feet in diameter and about fifteen deep, and the water, which did not 
cover the whole surface, but seemed to flow into a small hollow on one side, 
was quite brackish to our taste. The camels, however, drank of it freely, and 
it appeared to be by no means unpleasant to the Arabs. The water was drawn 
up in buckets and poured into a trough for the animals, and the work was done, 
as is usual with Arabs, to the measure of a song. I could get but an imperfect 
translation of it from one of our dragomen, as he had not English enough at 
command. It ran in this way : 11 Allah be praised. He sends us water. Here 
I am, poor camel, to draw for you. And if I had nothing else to draw it up 
with I would take even my shirt for your sake." This is the first water our 
camels have tasted since their leaving Cairo five days ago. 

26th, Monday. — The desert has somewhat changed its character. We have 
no longer a firm footing, but often wade through heavy sands. Our course 
brought us near to the sea, and once from the summit of a sand hill we caught 
a distant view of the Mediterranean. Not far from this, as we toiled through a 
valley bounded towards the west by a high ridge of sand, we saw a number 
of people, men and women, with camels, asses, sheep and goats, around some 



PALM TEEES GAZELLES. 



21 



pits fresh dug ; others were scooping up the sand with their hands into baskets 
and removing it. This is done to an Arab song which seems to be a sort of 
responsive chant. The person digging sings, " Allah a ma wil fater," or " God 
we give thee praise ;" and the one carrying the sand away replies, " El moi6 
ta wil hater," " and do thou give us water." After thus digging down a foot or 
two, water flows freely into the hollow. We tasted it, but though drinkable it 
was brackish as well as turbid. It seemed, however, to be much prized not 
only by the thirsty animals, but the Beddoween women were provided with 
vessels, and carried it away to their encampment. This place was called Beer 
el abd, or the " Well of the slave :" but for what reason I could not learn. 

The desert scenery changes again. The mounds of sand become more fre- 
quent and higher, and have lengthened valleys between them. Occasionally 
small clumps of palm-trees, with their naked stems and feathery tops, refresh 
the eye. How they should spring up from the very sand seems remarkable. It 
is said that they grow from the stones of dates, thrown away by travellers, who 
have in former times encamped on these spots, and that the instinct of the vital 
principle in these seeds, discovering that there is water at no great distance below, 
the root is sent down to find it ; then the tree shoots out joyously above, and 
flourishes, and in gratitude to the tribe of pilgrims, to whom its life is owing, 
gives shelter to successive generations, and points them where the all-preserving 
element can be found. I should rather suppose that the stones had been buried 
in the sand, so as to be brought into contact with some moisture at least, for the 
date stones scattered where there is no water within reach below never fructify. 

In places, over the smooth surface of the sandy hills, we have seen to-day 
the frequent track of the fleet and timid gazelle, and once a flock of those beau- 
tiful and harmless creatures dashed by us, and were out of sight in a moment. 
The monotony of a low and level horizon is now broken, and in the distance we 
see a range of high hills, but not the slightest spot of green upon them. They 
are yellow and barren, and must be the abode of silence and death. 

March 27th, Tuesday. — We rose very early this morning, broke up our en- 
campment, and were on our march by half-past six. We had not proceeded, 
however, more than two miles when, having occasion to make a note, I found 



22 



A RECOVERY PILGKIM GRAVE. 



that the little pocket-book, in which I keep my minutes, was missing. I had 
been writing in it the night before, and knew therefore that it was not lost 
during yesterday's journey. I was about to turn back for it, to our place of 
encampment, but my ever attentive friend insisted upon going for me, as his 
dromedary could trot faster than mine, so that he could overtake us without 
arresting our progress. He therefore took two of our Arab attendants and went 
back. The place where we had encamped was more than usually sandy, and 
the search seemed fruitless, when one of the Arabs bethought him of scraping 
in the sand where the tent had been pitched. Fortunately he soon turned up 
the little book from the spot where my bed had stood. It had fallen off and got 
covered out of sight, for we made it a point, the very last thing before moving 
off, to look carefully over the whole surface of our camping-ground, lest any 
thing should be left. I felt much rejoiced to get my little book again, as it con- 
tained memorandums which I could not have replaced ; and in this case very 
cheerfully gave the " backsheesh," a gratuity which these Arabs expect and are 
ever ready to demand, upon the performance of the slightest service ; and often 
for no service at all. As to my friend, this was only one of a thousand occa- 
sions which called for my thanks for his uniform kindness and attention. 

The bones of dead camels have almost lined our path for some distance, but 
to-day the grave of a pilgrim was pointed out to us by the road-side. Here, 
overcome by disease, or sinking under fatigue, he had fallen, and had been 
buried in the sand by his companions. At the head and foot of the rude heap, 
as not a stone was at hand, the bones of a camel had been placed. They had 
fallen, and were replaced by our Arabs ; but soon the wind will level the small 
mound, and no trace will be left of that poor pilgrim. Piety for the dead 
prompts the living to cover up their remains ; and thus, though hundreds must 
have died by the way, yet no human bone has grieved our sight. From some 
fragments of the clothing, which were left beside this grave, our attendants sup- 
posed it to be that of a pilgrim from India. Whether any sad reflections had 
been excited in the minds of our six companions, who were trudging on at some 
distance before us, or whether, indeed, they saw the grave, we cannot say. A 
similar fate might attend any one of them, for they had before them a weari- 



WASHING IN SAND AEAB TENT. 



23 



some and dangerous journey of many months, before they could reach their 
home in Hindostan. But when we stopped, soon after, at noon, for refresh- 
ment, they happened to make their rest near us, and seemed as cheerful as 
before. Here I had the opportunity of observing a peculiar ceremony con- 
nected with Mohammedan devotion. It was one of the five times of daily 
prayer which are enjoined upon all the followers of the prophet. The pilgrims, 
kneeling down, took sand in the palms of their hands, and, lifting up the arm, 
let it glide down the inner part to the elbow, and then went through the form 
of washing the arms and face with sand. Upon asking our dragoman, who was 
a Muslim, the meaning of this, he told me that this was a substitute for that 
washing of the hands and face which is required by the Koran as a preparation 
for prayer. When water cannot be procured ablution may be performed with 
sand or dust. 

We have been in the neighborhood of the Beddowees to-day, and have 
seen several large flocks of their camels browsing upon the clumps of shrubs 
which have again appeared on the desert. In the afternoon we passed near to 
one of their encampments. The construction of their tents is extremely simple. 
Three stakes are driven into the ground in a line ; and on these another is 
placed horizontally. This is the whole framework, and upon it is thrown a 
large brown or else striped white and black cloth, made of goat's or camel's 
hair, one border of which is carried back some distance and pinned to the 
ground. The front is generally open, but can be closed with a curtain. Some 
of these tents cover a considerable space, and are divided into two parts, one of 
which is the women's apartment. To move from place to place costs them little 
or no trouble, for their house, which is all they need in this climate, as it shel- 
ters them from the sun, the rain and the dew, is easily put up and taken down, 
and is a light load for a camel. Their fare is extremely simple, consisting princi- 
pally of camel's milk, and coarse bread made of wheat, which they do not how- 
ever always raise, but buy with the increase of their flocks and herds. Their 
manners and mode of living are probably such as they were centuries ago, with 
the exception of their having learned the use of firearms and tobacco. The 
chief of this tribe as we came along was sitting in the tent door in the heat of 



24 



TRIBUTE MONEY THE SEA. 



the day, as Abraham might have been, but he was smoking his pipe. He rose 
upon seeing us, but not to ask us, according to the custom of patriarchal hospi- 
tality, to u turn in" and rest and refresh ourselves, but with sabre by his side 
and gun on his shoulder, to demand tribute money for passing through his 
country. The trifle amounting to a few cents for each of us was cheerfully 
paid, and the chieftain, having walked some little distance, wished us farewell 
in Oriental fashion, and returned to dream away his life at the door of his tent, 
with no labor but that of driving his camels and milking them, and no excite- 
ment but an occasional quarrel with a neighboring tribe. 

We have been drawing near to the sea for some time, and have passed a 
bay inclosed with a sand-bar, again like the South Bay of Long Island, and 
are now encamped within sound of the roar of the Mediterranean. It breaks 
upon us now near, and now murmuring afar off, as the shifting of the wind 
affects it. What a grateful change after the drear stillness of the desert ! It 
seems to have brought us again into companionship with the men of this world, 
for while you are in the desert, your whole mode of life and course of thought 
is such, that though in the world, you seem to yourself not to be of it. 

EL AREESH. 

On Wednesday the 28th, after leaving our encampment, our route for two 
hours was over broken ground like a rough prairie, with clumps of coarse grass 
and shrubs ; but an hour before reaching El Areesh, the scene was again 
changed. As far as the eye alone was concerned, we might have supposed that 
we had suddenly plunged into a waste region in mid winter, and at the far 
north ; for we saw before us the sand in color and appearance like immense 
banks of snow. Amidst these we wound our way, sinking deep at each foot- 
step ; but while the reflection of the brilliant sun from these drifting wreaths 
of sand was not less distressing to the eye than from snow, the sweltering heat 
effectually destroyed any such illusion. 

El Areesh is a place of some consequence from its position as the frontier 
town of Egypt. It maintains a small garrison, and travellers from Syria are 



EL AREESH ARAB MESSENGER. 



25 



here put into quarantine. It is of historic celebrity, for it was the Ehinocolura 
of the Greeks, so called, as has been thought, from two Greek words signifying 
the nose and to mutilate, because persons convicted of capital crimes were 
anciently banished to this place, first having their noses, broken or cut off. In 
the old ruined castle we saw the stone sarcophagus of a child with an inscription 
indicating that it had belonged to one of the Ptolemies. It is supposed 
that in this neighborhood the rebellious Israelites during their wandering in the 
desert were fed with quails. At the present day in certain seasons of the year 
]arge numbers of these birds are caught. 

The place now consists of a large brick castle, in a ruinous state, with a 
number of poor mud- walled houses. If a view of it were taken, from a short 
distance, the picture would represent a fortified place, dismantled, on the edge 
of a desolate treeless waste, and surrounded by the snows of mid- winter. This 
was our last experience of the sandy desert, and after a journey of two hundred 
miles from Cairo, it seemed an appropriate as it was a welcome conclusion to 
our pilgrimage through the wilderness of Shur. 

From El Areesh by a gentle descent we came into a shallow, sandy and 
gravelly ravine, the Wady el Areesh or Yalley of Areesh, supposed to be the 
bed of an ancient torrent, the F lumen JEgyptiacum, or 'river of Egypt' so 
often mentioned in the Old Testament, and perhaps the Sihor before alluded 
to. It is the boundary between Syria and Egypt. 

Upon the further bank on the Syrian side we dismounted awhile for refresh- 
ment, and here we had the opportunity ot testing the power of endurance of 
the Beddowee in travelling through the desert. The mail was to leave Cairo in 
four days, by the overland route from India to England. Anxious to avail 
ourselves of the only opportunity that would present itself for some weeks 
of giving our families notice of our movements, at the suggestion of the 
dragoman a proposition was made to one of our camel-men, whom we could 
spare, to go on foot and carry letters for us. The promise of the reward 
of four dollars, to be paid by an order on our banker, if he succeeded in 
reaching Cairo in time, was sufficient to stimulate him to a most difficult and 
hazardous undertaking, as it would appear to us. This was no less than to 

3 



26 



ASPECT OF SYRIA. 



walk two hundred miles in four days, for a great part of the distance over the 
waste and waterless desert. But to the poor fellow the prize was great, as 
it would be adequate to his support for several months, and he was eager to 
try for it. We were assured that he would run no risk of life, and that the 
worst which could probably happen would be his failing in regard to time. 
We therefore sat down upon the sands, finished our letters, and dispatched 
them, after this primitive manner, by our fleet and trusty messenger — and so 
he proved to be, for the very letter which introduces this narrative was the one 
put into his charge. 



Itmrnflj ttrrnugtr Iqriu ta <f nja. 

When we reached the borders of Syria the face of the country began grad- 
ually to change. Occasional patches of green, with fields under a rude tillage, 
seemed for awhile to hold a contest with the sands of the desert ; but at last 
alternate hills and valleys covered with grass and brightened with flowers 
proclaimed the victory won. Still the landscape was nowhere diversified by 
masses of forest, and the only trees we saw were small scattered orchards of the 
olive and a few fig and almond trees. Absence of shade is a striking charac- 
teristic of this and indeed of the larger portion of Syria. While travelling on 
the barren desert we do not expect to find a shelter from the sun, and therefore 
are not disappointed ; but here, when we are treading upon a turf-covered soil, 
and the sun begins to beat down in the middle of the day, we naturally look 
round for the cool shade of some tree with spreading leafy branches, and finding 
none, we feel the force and beauty of the Prophet's figure when he likens the 
blessed influence of Messiah's reign to ' the shadow of a great rock in a weary 
land.' 

As we advance, the landscape, though bare, becomes at times quite pic- 



AEAB CUSTOMS. 



turesque. In contrast with the region we have just passed over it would even 
assume a familiar and homelike aspect, but for some incident which brings us 
at once to realize how far we are from "Western life, as well as from the land of 
the West. Here for example is a plain of rich pasturage. Numbers of camels 
are grazing over it, and it is strange to see the huge humps of these tall, mis- 
shapen animals, which stalk about, in place of cows and oxen, with their beau- 
tiful horns and sleek mottled skins. As we pass near the camel it stops feeding, 
and raises its small head with a long, snake-like neck, to look stupidly at us, 
instead of gazing with a mild honest face and inquiring eye. Again, if we 
meet a flock of smaller animals, we are sure to find as many goats as sheep, 
and here they seem always to be mixed together on their way and in the pas- 
tures. It is only when they come to be folded that ' the shepherd divideth his 
sheep from the goats.' Once more, upon the sloping side of that hill they are 
preparing to sow the barley or the wheat, but we do not see the sturdy farmer 
bending earnestly over his share, and with the help of his pair of spirited 
horses, or two or more yokes of oxen, turning up a deep and wide furrow, but 
the plowman is a slender Arab, with long garments circled about his loins, and 
smoking his pipe, while one hand guides a light crooked beam attached by a 
rope to the hump, and sometimes to the long tail of a camel. Thus he saunters 
along, and with his short coulter scratches only the surface of the soil. 

Towards sunset we were joined by two Beddowees returning from the 
pasturage of their herds, as appeared by one of them carrying the fresh skin of 
a young camel which had just died. The bargaining for the purchase of this 
by my friend brought on other conversation through our dragoman acting as 
interpreter. They seemed amiable and were communicative. We learned that 
their tribe was called Sowarkee, and numbered about 2000, and that its boun- 
daries were from El Areesh to Gaza along the coast, and extending five or six 
days' journey back into the desert. Each man owns the camels, whose milk is 
the principal food of their families. The men never leave their tents to go 
even to their nearest herds without their long guns and sabres. We asked the 
reason of this :• whether they were afraid of an attack from an enemy or from 
one of their own tribe. No, they replied ; "we are at peace now, and there 



28 



LOVE OF HOME. 



is no danger from our own people, but it is our custom always to go armed — 
we are not women." They brought us in the evening some wooden bowls of 
camels' milk, which was rich but strong flavored, and by no means so pleasant 
as that of the cow. Though they refused money in payment, they were very 
eager to get gunpowder, and were greatly pleased with what we gave them. 

Before we parted they told us, with a sort of exultation, and as if they 
thought scorn of this pleasant land, that this was not their home ; for they be- 
longed far away six days' journey across the sands, and were here only for a 
short time to pasture the female camels while they suckled their young. Thus 
true to his nature and his destiny, the Beddowee of the desert loves a wander- 
ing life, and prefers dwelling in tents to a fixed abode. While among the 
green fields and the hills he longs for a free range over the yellow sands, and 
there alone does he feel the sentiment of home. • Such is man every where. 

" The shuddering tenant of the frigid zone 
Boldly proclaims that happiest spot his own ; 
Extols the treasures of his stormy seas, 
And his long nights of revelry and ease ; 
The naked negro, panting at the line, 
Boasts of his golden sands and palmy wine, 
Basks in the glare, or stems the tepid wave, 
And thanks his gods for all the good they gave." 

Thursday, the 29th. — It being very important for us to arrive at Graza by 
sunset in order to save a day's quarantine, we struck our tents and were on our 
march by starlight. When the landscape became visible we found ourselves 
upon an open rolling country, with a soil of great fertility. Our path was evi- 
dently one very much travelled. It was not however a single, wide, beaten 
track, but fifteen or twenty separate paths, like wide cart ruts, following the 
same general course, but crooked and constantly running into each other over 
a breadth of twenty or thirty yards. This appearance is produced by caravans 
of camels travelling always in single file. In various directions we saw tillage 
going on and herds of camels feeding, but though a comparatively cultivated 



TEIBUTE SHEKE'S TOMB. 



29 



region, the people were wild Beddowees of tlie desert, and not all, as it proved, 
like our friends of last evening. For we had not proceeded far, after it became 
daylight, when a man armed to the teeth, after their fashion, crossed our path, 
and in a rude, menacing way demanded tribute. We did not stop, and he 
followed us in angry expostulation with our dragoman. By and by another 
came, and was about to arrest the train by seizing the halter of the leading 
camel, when we were obliged to threaten him to make him loose his hold, 
which he did very reluctantly. Our dragoman told them we should pay at the 
proper boundary line, which was some distance ahead, and that we would not 
be robbed. Had we been a small company and unarmed, we should not have 
escaped so easily. In about an hour five or six of the tribe came upon us, and 
as we saw several others at no great distance in the fields, it was time to com- 
promise the matter. So we stopped to make our payment. But now the 
question was who should receive it. Each insisted on his right, and an angry 
altercation arose between themselves. So to end the matter we gave the 
reqiiired amount to one of them, who immediately took to his heels, the others 
following in full chase, while we pursued our course. Had the shekh of the 
tribe been present the proceeding would have been orderly, and the tribute 
money would have gone to him, professedly for the benefit of the tribe, but 
really, as we were told, for himself. His authority can keep the tribe in some 
check, but in his absence the prophecy concerning Ishmael extends even to 
their own social condition : 1 Their hand is against every man and every man's 
. hand against them.' And therefore they are all armed, and. always armed, and 
if any one is too poor to own a gun or a sword, he never moves without a long 
stout club over his shoulder. This custom is not confined to the Beddowees, 
but pervades all Syria, and we never met a man upon the road, who was not 
prepared 'after some fashion' for acts of violence. 

Like the Pharisees of old the zealous followers of Mohammed ' build the 
tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous.' An in- 
stance of this kind of devotion presented itself to us during our morning's 
ride. Descending into a pleasant valley we came to a small square building, 
covered with an oven-shaped cupola, and were informed that it was held sacred 



30 



A CITY ERASED. 



as the burial plaee of Shekh Juideh, from whom that valley was named. The 
tomb within was covered with a green and yellow pall, and before it a small 
lamp was burning. The oil for this purpose is supplied by the contributions 
of devout persons. Our dragoman, after saying his prayers at the tomb, gave 
his mite to the attendant who has the place in charge, and is bound to keep 
the lamp burning night and day. 

A ride of several hours over an undulating and pleasant country, here and 
there tolerably well cultivated, brought us to a more extensive valley famous 
in history for the sanguinary battle fought between Antiochus the Great, king 
of Syria, and Ptolemy, the fourth king of Egypt, in which the latter gained a 
decided victory. In this valley, at a short distance from the road lay Eaphia, 
a city of great antiquity, and where, it is said, but upon how good authority I 
know not, that the daughter of Pharaoh was met by the elders of Israel who 
were appointed to conduct her to Solomon. Two columns standing upright 
upon a mound, and fragments of three others with a marble capital almost 
hidden by the grass near a deep well, are all that remain to designate the place. 
My friend and I had left our caravan, and turned aside on foot to gratify our cu- 
riosity. Here we stood alone upon a mound, of ruins probably beneath but the 
surface a smooth sod, beside the columns which were covered up to more than 
half their height. Not a sound was heard save the buzz of insects, not a 
human being to be seen, for even our caravan had disappeared behind a rising 
ground. Yet in all directions the earth had once been overspread by habita- 
tions of men and splendid fanes sacred to their gods. For centuries the din 
and roar of a great multitude had swelled by day and been lulled at night. 
On yonder plain the shock of armies had made the earth to tremble, and from 
the temple which crowned the summit of this hill where we are standing, might 
they have been seen flying and pursuing, with chariots, horses, and the trained 
elephant. Then there rolled up hither the mingled screams of the wounded, 
the shouts of victory, the blast of the trumpet and the neigh of the war steed ; 
but now it is a level silent plain, and only two solitary columns still standing, 
call up associations which acres of prostrate ruins could not so readily have 
aroused. 



PRICKLY PEAR. 



31 



We thought we had bidden a final farewell to the desert, but before reach- 
ing Khan Yoones, we plunged into a region of heavy shifting sand, over hills 
and through valleys of which our poor beasts had to wade, while we were 
almost blinded by the reflection of the sun and melted .down by its heat. JSTor 
was there a breath of air to relieve us. Our agony, however, was not of long 
continuance, for on winding round the last hill, a beautiful green plain lay 
before us, as far as the eye could see, and below us, at its entrance upon rising 
ground, a large village embowered in trees, and surrounded with gardens 
inclosed in lofty hedges of the prickly pear. With us this is a creeping plant 
with leaves not larger than the palm of the hand ; but here it grows up to the 
height of eight or ten feet, with stout angular stems of woody fibre, and the 
thorny leaves are of the size of two hands, and are an inch thick. Therefore 
in process of time it forms a hedge which no beast can break through, and 
which it would be a serious undertaking to cut down. Its appearance is gro- 
tesque but not unsightly, and may be likened to a fence of dead, stunted, 
crooked trees, to which have been fastened in all sorts of fantastic ways thick, 
oval, green-colored tiles. 

From the top of the last sand hill a horseman who had been on the watch 
for travellers, galloped down to within twenty feet of us, and after the Arab 
fashion brought his horse to a sudden stop. He then told us that we were in 
quarantine, and must proceed under his guardianship to Gaza, touching no 
person on the way. He rode a short distance before us, warning all whom we 
met to keep out of our road. A word was sufficient, and every body gave us, 
as the sailors say, a wide berth ; for whoever should have touched us or any of 
our things, would be obliged to go into quarantine with us. 

From Khan Yoones, where we obtained a refreshing draught of pure, cool, 
sweet water, the first we had tasted since we drank at Heliopolis, from the Well 
of the Virgin, we entered at once upon the beautiful plain. And if it was 
grateful to our sight, as we looked down upon it from the sandy hills, it was 
even more delightsome as we rode through it. It was perfectly level, highly 
cultivated, but not marked by a single separating line, except that made by the 
differently tinted growths of barley, wheat, beans and pasturage, the latter 



32 



PLEASANT EIDE. 



sprinkled over with white and yellow flowers, and the whole warmed with a 
profusion of the red poppy. If Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like 
one of the lilies of the field, surely the palace floor of no prince of the earth 
was ever covered with a carpet so gorgeous. Nor could any perfume of man's 
compounding equal the fragrance wafted to us upon the gentle breeze. Music 
too was added to cheer us on our way ; for numberless skylarks kept rising 
from the ground before us, filling the air with cheerful melody, and " singing 
up to heaven's gate." After some six or eight miles of this enchanting ride, 
the cultivated land gradually changed into undulating fields over which herds 
of cattle, and flocks of sheep with white and brown colored fleeces were grazing 
at will. Before us in the distance a range of high hills began to appear, the 
mountains of Hebron, and upon the summit of one of them the tomb of a celebra- 
ted Shekh Ab Ali Montar, with its white walls and dome against the blue sky 
produced a fine effect. Farther to the left we soon saw the minarets of Graza 
gleaming in the setting sun. This was our destination, and anxious were we to 
reach it, for fatigue began to oppress us. "We crossed the "Wady Graza, which 
was like the dry bed of a mountain torrent, and labored up the rising ground 
and over the high plain before us. It seemed as if our place of destination 
never would be reached. At last we arrived at the fortress-like walls of the 
quarantine, situated a little less than a mile from the town. On entering the 
arched gateway after fifteen hours of almost constant riding, it was with diffi- 
culty that I could dismount from my dromedary, and walk a few steps. But 
we had the satisfaction of knowing that by far the longest and most tedious 
portion of our journey to the Holy City was ended. We had now reached the 
border of the Land of Promise, and henceforward every step of our way 
would be over land consecrated by associations with sacred history. Not that 
our journey since leaving Cairo has been without the interest thus excited. 
The road we have travelled is to this day called " El Sikkah Soltan," " The 
Highway of Kings." It was used as a channel for commercial intercourse long 
before Joseph was carried away captive by the Midianite merchantmen. By 
this road too ' Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn : the 
king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price. And they fetched up, and 



THE HIGHWAY OF KINGS. 



33 



brought out of Egypt a chariot for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse 
for a hundred and rift j : and so brought they out horses for all the kings of 
the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria by their means.' From the days of 
Nebuchadnezzar, six hundred years before our Saviour, to those of Napoleon, 
and more recently of Ibrahim Pacha, hostile armies have passed and repassed 
and fought upon it. It has been called " the Debatable Land between Egypt 
and Syria, whether its possessors were Babylonians or Persians, Greeks or Ko- 
mans, Saracens or Christian Crusaders." But to us, with a visit to the sacred 
places before us, as the chief motive to our pilgrimage, it is looked back upon 
with an interest far different and far higher. Twice over this pathway travelled 
ONE unknown to the rich and mighty of the world, and unnoticed even by 
those who met Him on the way ; often too dependent upon strangers for food 
and shelter, and exposed to sun and wind and dew upon the naked desert ; yet 
though then a feeble infant borne upon the breast, was He the King of earth 
and heaven. That Joseph with the young child and His mother went to Egypt 
and returned from it by the route we have just accomplished, I entertain no 
doubt. But what direction they took from Bethlehem to Gaza, and from Gaza 
back to Nazareth, whether by way of Hebron or by the road we shall travel, 
is a question upon which it is safest to form no conjecture. 



QUARANTINE AT GAZA. 

Friday, March 30th. — This morning we rose with a sense of extreme 
fatigue. While in motion, and with the prospect of getting forward, excite- 
ment prevented our perceiving to what degree we had been exerting ourselves ; 
but now learning that we must remain quietly here for five days, we have dis- 
covered that our detention will prove a benefit. But for this imposed rest we 
should have been too much exhausted for a pleasant or profitable visit to Jeru- 
salem. Formerly the quarantine was by no means strict, and a bribe would 
purchase exemption from it, unless the plague were actually raging in Egypt. 
Now, however, a commodious building having been erected, and a new system 

5 



34 



THE GTTAEDS IN QUABANTINE. 



of police established, no persuasions could induce the superintendent to shorten 
the time in our fayor. The establishment is surrounded by a high wall, and 
consists of stone buildings divided into small rooms, on the four sides of a 
hollow square, with a large well in the centre. As it is intended to be a safe- 
guard against the introduction of the plague, all the arrangements are made 
with this view. Soldiers are constantly stationed at the gateway to prevent all 
egress without a permit. Each separate party within is under the charge of a 
guard, who provides that the persons over whom he is placed, together with all 
articles belonging to them, are kept from the slightest contact with other per- 
sons and things. So strict is the regulation that if one going out of the laza- 
retto after completing his time, should unfortunately touch another coming in, 
or any thing belonging to him, the former would have to return and be sub- 
jected to a new quarantine. The guard or guards too of a party are in quaran- 
tine themselves for precisely the same time as those whom they have in charge. 
These guards are Arab servants, and during the time of your detention, beside 
their duty of watching they perform menial offices. Whenever you move 
from the door of your room they are immediately at your side, and are con- 
stantly on the watch to prevent approach to any person or object that might 
compromise you. It is somewhat amusing to see different parties meeting 
or walking in the open area of the establishment, with these guardians on 
the watch, thrusting their badge of office, a long stick, between those who 
accidentally, or in the earnestness of conversation, come within five or six 
feet of each other. It is disagreeable enough to be thus dogged about by 
a dirty Arab guiding your movements, as if you were cattle of some kind. It 
is a duty however to submit patiently to the sanitary regulations of a country 
when they are dictated by necessity, and put in force without needless re- 
straints. As Egypt is now perfectly healthy we might feel our confinement to 
be unreasonable, but we are scarcely disinterested judges, and there may be 
causes of which we are unaware for this strict system of precaution. It is at 
least applied as strictly to their own people as to strangers, and we have there- 
fore no ground for complaint. The dragoman of an English gentleman in 
quarantine injured his arm severely by the bursting of a gun, and one of the 



ARAB HORROR OF QUARANTINE. 



35 



surgeons of the establishment who dressed the wound, was immediately obliged 
to leave his family, come into the lazaretto, and submit to its regulations. 

Saturday, March 31st. — We have been permitted to take a short walk 
outside of the lazaretto, but with an express direction given to our guards not 
to suffer us to pass a certain limit. As we had never been prison birds, we had 
now the opportunity of experiencing a sensation quite new to us — the inex- 
pressible delight of escaping from a forced confinement ; from stone walls to 
the fields and trees, to the song of birds, and a walk upon the green grass. 
If our short imprisonment produced this effect, how must one feel after years 
or even months of a worse confinement ; and if to us restraint was bitter, what 
must it be to the wild Arab of the desert ? To them the quarantine is an 
object of perfect horror. They keep as much as possible beyond its reach, and 
if they pass between Syria and Egypt they make a long detour from the direct 
course. But the government keeps mounted guards stationed at certain dis- 
tances for many miles around, and often the poor Beddowee is caught after all, 
and brought by force to the lazaretto. To-day hearing a great outcry, and the 
sound of the bastinado, we learned that an unfortunate fellow had been seized 
in attempting thus to evade the regulation. He was marched without resist- 
ance to the very archway of the building, but as soon as he saw the gates his 
horror overcame him ; he lay down on the ground, and no beating could make 
him rise again. The soldiers were at last obliged to take him by main force 
and carry him within, and there he lies moaning and disconsolate, and refuses 
to notice any thing. 

Sunday, April 1st. — This is Palm Sunday, the first day of that Holy Week 
which we had hoped this year to celebrate at Jerusalem, and there follow as 
nearly as possible all its affecting history, while visiting in succession the scenes 
of sacred events upon the anniversary of their occurrence. Of so great a 
privilege we are in part deprived by this inexorable quarantine which has so 
unexpectedly arrested our progress. We console ourselves however with the 
hope of being in time at least for Good Friday and Easter Sunday. To-day we 
have had the privilege of social worship with our companions, a small, but I 
trust a devout congregation, and had the expression been where three or four 



36 



EVENTS IN QUAEANTINE. 



'are gathered together' instead of 'two or three,' it would have applied literally 
to us. How greatly would the interest of the service have been increased 
could we have first walked over the road by which our blessed Saviour entered 
the city amidst the hosannas of the people, who ' spread their garments in the 
way, and cut down branches off the trees and strewed them in the way,' and 
shouted 'blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord !' 

Monday, April 2d. — This morning we were awakened early by the rain 
coming in upon us through the miserable roof. We rose to look out upon a 
sky which, for the first time since we left Kome, put us quite in mind of our 
own climate. In Egypt the weather was very different, and during our month 
upon the Nile we did not see one drop of rain, and hardly a cloud in the sky. 
An April day therefore is grateful, and though the place and the people about 
us are strange, yet the face of the heaven is familiar, and its smiles and tears 
bring up thoughts of home. These have been strengthened and sanctified 
while we were engaged in the service for Monday in Passion Week, knowing 
that many dear ones have united with us in spirit in this offering of prayer and 
praise. The rain subsided, and we again obtained permission to go forth awhile 
and smell the fragrance of the earth after fresh showers. 

Tuesday, April 3d. — This morning we have again united in reading the 
appointed service of the Church. A party of English gentlemen who came 
into quarantine before us, and with whom we have formed a most agreeable 
acquaintance, have to-day completed the time of their imprisonment, and we 
saw them march joyously out of the arched gateway in full freedom to direct 
their course towards the Holy City. Were not our own escape so near, I doubt 
if it would have been in human nature to give them a cordial good-bye. But 
this we could do only by words, for shaking hands with them or touching even 
the hem of their garments, would have brought them back to stay out the 
remainder of our time. Because though they were proved to be free from 
infection, yet the plague might break out in our party to-day, and if so it 
would in this manner have been communicated to them. 

Wednesday, April 4th. — Our quarantine is ended. The purification of 
ourselves, our clothes and all our travelling equipage with fumes of brimstone 



FAREWELL TO QUARANTINE. 



37 



mixed with some strong smelling plant has been performed. With gay and 
elastic spirits, like schoolboys on the last day of term, we make our prepara- 
tions. Our camels refreshed by rest and pasture, come with their ungainly 
stride into the area of the lazaretto, and we rejoice to hear once more their 
grumbling complaints while receiving their loads. But as there is now no 
desert to cross we have preferred horses for our own use. All things being 
ready our camels take up the line of march, and we mount to follow and over- 
take them. But first we satisfy our guards with " backsheesh," and bid fare- 
well to the Turkish superintendent, who has performed his duty with so much 
regard to our comfort. Though we have seen him daily many times, and have 
conversed with him in a friendly way, yet now for the first time has he shaken 
us by the hand. So farewell, a long farewell, we hope, to the discomforts and 
provocations of a quarantine. 



"We are now fairly upon the southern boundary of the Land of Promise. 
Before we commence our journey over its sacred soil, it may be well to speak 
of its general characteristics and of its past and present condition. To review 
our knowledge upon these points and bring it into a small compass, will proba- 
bly add to the interest of the subsequent narrative. 

Its boundaries include but a very small and almost an insignificant portion 
of the whole earth, and yet the widest of departed empires, can awaken no 
such ancient or august recollections. From none of them nor from them all 
together have events arisen that have wielded and will ever wield an influence 
so mighty upon the moral and social condition of men. The names of its 
people, its cities and villages, its rivers, lakes and mountains, have been famil- 
iar sounds from our earliest infancy, and now the imagination loves to transport 




BOUNDARIES AND NAMES. 



38 



LIMITS OP THE LAND OF PEOMISE. 



itself to this region, where every rock is the symbol of a Divine revelation, 
every ruin a warning against disobedience, and an evidence of the jndgments 
of heaven, and " in each echo the pious soul can hear the voice of God." 
Above all, here the Saviour of the world was born, lived and died. This was 
the soil trodden by His gracious feet as 1 He went about doing good;' and this 
the ground moistened with His tears and His blood. Yet so narrow is the space 
within which such wonders were performed, that one of the Fathers of the 
Church who made it his retreat in the latter years of his life says, " one is 
almost ashamed to speak of the contracted boundaries of the Land of Promise, 
lest we should seem to give to the Gentiles occasion to blaspheme." "Pudet 
dicere latitudinem terrse repromissionis, ne ethnicis occasionem blasphemandi 
dedisse videamur." (St. Jerome, 129th Epistle to Dardanus.) The ancient 
geographers, however, under the influence of their deep reverence for the Holy 
Land ; placed it in the centre of the world, then known. 

Its precise limits have been variously stated ; but according to the largest 
computation it could never have been more than two hundred of our miles in 
length, by about eighty in breadth. Probably it was always much less. From' 
Dan to Beersheba, an expression made so familiar to us from the Sacred Scrip- 
tures, the distance is about one hundred and sixty miles, and the breadth about 
fifty from the coast of the Great Sea, as the Mediterranean was called to the 
river Jordan. According to the book of Genesis this river formed properly 
the eastern boundary of the Promised Land, though portions of territory 
beyond it were assigned to the tribes of Eeuben and Gad, and to the half tribe 
of Manasseh. 

Its earliest name was the Land of Canaan, derived from the youngest son 
of Ham and the grandson of Noah, who came hither and settled upon it with 
his eleven sons after the dispersion of Babel. (Genesis x. 15-19.) 

It derived its title, Land of Promise, from the Epistle to the Hebrews 
(xi. 9), because God in his sovereign will determined to expel from it the 
wicked descendants of the cursed Ham, and promised to give it in perpetuity, 
on condition of their obedience to the faithful Abraham and his posterity. 
(Leviticus xxv. 38 : Psalms cv. 11.) 



NAMES OF THE LAND OP PEOMISE. 



39 



When, in pursuance of this promise, the twelve tribes took possession, it 
was called the Land of Iseael. It then comprehended all that tract of 
country which Grod gave to the children of Israel on both sides of the Jordan. 
By this appellation it is frequently mentioned in the .Old Testament, and we 
find it used also by St. Matthew (ii. 20, 21). 

It was called the Land of the Hebeews by Joseph (Grenesis xl. 15). 

The title Land of Judah was at first restricted to the portion assigned to 
this tribe. (Deut. xxxiv. 2.) After the rebellion of the ten tribes, Judah and 
Benjamin constituted one kingdom, which received this appellation to distin- 
guish it from the kingdom of Israel. After the Babylonish captivity, the 
whole of Canaan was called the Land of Judah or Judea. This name it 
thenceforward retained, and was so called when it became a province of the 
Koman Empire. 

The Holy Land (Zechariah ii. 12), The Loed's Land, (Hosea ix. 3), 
Immanuel's Land (Isaiah viii. 8), are also frequently applied to it for reasons 
which are sufficiently obvious. 

Palestine or Palestina seems originally to have been a poetical appella- 
tion. We find it first in the triumphant song of Moses and the children of 
Israel after their passage of the Eed Sea. (Exodus xv. 14.) Isaiah also uses 
it in one of his most animated prophetical effusions. (Isaiah xiv. 29-31.) It 
is derived from the Philistines, a people who came from Egypt, and drove out 
the descendants of Ham from the southwestern portion of their inheritance. 
Their fame for warlike deeds was so great that their name overrode those of 
their weaker neighbors, and was often applied to the whole land. Thus no 
portion of the earth has ever had applied to it so many names. 

BRIEF HISTORICAL NOTICES. 

Its history has been in a remarkable degree eventful. What country has 
been subjected to changes so frequent, to so great a number and variety of 
masters, and what country has been so profusely bathed in human blood? 
Wonderful is it indeed, a mystery beyond our power to fathom, that the land 



40 



JOSHUA JUDGE S. 



destined to give birth to the Prince of Peace, should yet above all others, and 
from the earliest records to the present time, have been the theatre of war and 
violence. 

Before the twelve tribes began to take possession of the Promised Land it 
was parcelled out amongst petty kings, the descendants of the eleven sons of 
Ham. Our very brief notices in the Book of Genesis show that they were 
constantly engaged in a kind of border warfare. When J oshua was chosen to 
lead the Israelites to their inheritance, the command was given to exterminate 
these nations who were sunk in gross idolatry, and therefore every step of his 
progress was recorded in blood. ' After the death of J oshua it came to pass that 
the children of Israel asked the Lord, Who shall go up for us against the Ca- 
naanites first, to fight against them?' Judah was appointed, and calling 
Simeon to his aid, they waged exterminating warfare against their enemies, and 
their example was followed by other tribes, who either destroyed the Canaan- 
ites that dwelt in their respective lots, or made them tributaries. For a time 
success attended their enterprises, because ' the people served the Lord all the 
days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua.' But 
' another generation arose which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which 
He had done for Israel.' When they 1 forsook the Lord, and followed other 
gods, the gods of the people that were round about them, He delivered them 
into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and He sold them into the 
hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand 
before their enemies.' Then were they greatly distressed, and when they 
groaned under their oppressions 1 the Lord raised up judges which delivered 
them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.' These judges were also 
military chiefs, and were expressly appointed by God to lead the people out to 
battle, as well as to preside over their civil and ecclesiastical polity. They 
lasted about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the 
Prophet (Acts xiii. 20), and their history is mainly a record of the wars they 
waged against the nations into whose hands the Lord delivered his people, from 
time to time, as a punishment for their idolatries. 

In the latter years of the administration of Samuel, at the request of all the 



KINGDOMS OF JUDAH AND ISRAEL. 



41 



elders of Israel, and with the Divine permission, the government of kings was 
established. It began in the person of Saul, and continued in succession for 
the space of about five hundred and seven years. These were lengthened 
periods of foreign war and intestine commotion, with some intervals of rest and 
peace, of which the latter part of the reign of David and the whole reign of 
Solomon was the most remarkable. During these happy years the Hebrew 
commonwealth reached its highest measure of prosperity, and possessed an 
extent of territory beyond that of any former or subsequent period of its his- 
tory. But tins condition of things, which made the Jews the most powerful 
and nourishing nation of "Western Asia, and procured for their wise and mag- 
nificent king the respect and admiration of the world, ended with his reign. 
The headstrong folly of his son and successor caused a disastrous change. The 
empire was rent in twain. Ten tribes renounced their allegiance, and formed 
themselves into a separate kingdom under Jeroboam, leaving to Eehoboam 
only the tribes of Judah and Benj amin . 

Henceforth two rival kingdoms existed in the land, weakening each other 
by their frequent strife, and calling down upon themselves the judgments of 
God for their wickedness and idolatry. Israel exceeded in depravity, for not 
one righteous king reigned over it, and therefore the curse of God rested upon 
it from its beginning to its end. Judah was blessed occasionally with pious 
sovereigns ; but all their exertions were ineffectual to reclaim the disobedient 
self-willed people, and bring them back to the pure worship of the God of 
their fathers. After the death of Josiah the kingdom of Judah rapidly de- 
clined. The Divine forbearance began now to be exhausted ; and at last the 
cup of indignation overflowed and swept the rebellious people from the land 
they were unworthy to enjoy. About seven hundred and twenty years before 
our Saviour, Shalmaneser king of Assyria invaded Syria, slaughtered many of 
its inhabitants, and carried away the remainder with their king into captivity 
beyond the Euphrates. Thus was the kingdom of Israel, which had subsisted 
two hundred and fifty -four years, utterly destroyed. Thenceforward the dis- 
tinction between the ten tribes began to be effaced, and soon they disappeared 
altogether from the sight and knowledge of the world. The kingdom of 



42 



CAPTIVITY AND BE STOBATION. 



Judah for about one hundred and thirty-four years longer held a precarious 
existence, but in the reign of Zedekiah the time had arrived in the counsels of 
the Almighty, for the remainder of His once favored people to pay the penalty 
of their repeated and long-continued transgressions. The Holy City was be- 
sieged for two years, during which the inhabitants suffered all the horrors of 
famine. It was then taken by the Chaldean army, its walls and houses levelled 
with the ground, the treasures of its temple carried away, and that magnificent 
edifice, the work of Solomon, utterly destroyed. The miserable people were 
driven into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar, and for seventy years were they 
wasted with suffering, and wept away their days beside the rivers of Babylon. 
Palestine was now indeed a widowed and a mourning land. Utterly depopu- 
lated, except as tribes of wandering Arabs passed through it, its beautiful hills 
and fertile valleys untilled, its vines and fig-trees dropping their ungathered 
fruits, its deserted habitations and ruined monuments a lair for wild beasts, it 
became one scene of desolation, an awful manifestation of the consequences of 
man's wickedness and of the severity of God's judgments. 

On the return of the Jews from their captivity, Judea was subject to the 
kings of Persia. Alexander the Great then achieved the conquest of this 
unhappy people. To him succeeded the kings of Syria and Egypt. At length 
the Maccabees, inspired with sacred zeal to vindicate the insulted religion of 
God, and to raise up his down-trodden people, obtained possession of the 
sovereignty of the Jews, and kept it for the space of one hundred and thirty- 
five years. The reign of Herod the Great put an end to their power, and at 
the death of this prince the Eomans became absolute masters of Judea. But 
they were forced to maintain their authority at the point of the sword, and by 
imposing upon the captured nation a heavy and cruel yoke ; for the J ews, as 
God's chosen people, felt that no Gentile could rightfully have the dominion 
over them, and therefore they were ready at all times to rebel and seize upon 
the slightest opportunity to shake off their bondage. 

Thus was Canaan ever and eminently a land of suffering, persecution and 
bloodshed. Though it was the land promised by God to the descendants of 
faithful Abraham, yet in consequence of their grievous sins, their stubborn diso- 



PEACEFUL ADVENT OF CUEIST. 



bedience and their abominable idolatries, their possession of it was always preca- 
rious, and often was it absolutely wrested from them. Brief indeed were the 
periods when it could be said that every man sat peacefully beneath his own 
vine and fig tree. What with perpetual and harassing wars against the 
Canaanites whom they never effectually drove out, but who were 1 snares and 
traps to them, and scourges in their sides and thorns in their eyes,' and what 
with repeated attacks of foreign enemies, Assyrians, Babylonians and Persians 
on one side, and Egyptians on the other, and subsequently the Macedonians 
and the Romans, there was but little cessation of 1 the battle of the warrior 
with confused noise and garments rolled in blood,' until the Saviour's Advent. 
Then indeed 

u No war, or battle's sound 
Was heard the world around : 

The idle spear and shield were high up hung ; 
The hooked chariot stood, 
Unstained with hostile blood ; 

The trumpet spake not to the armed throng 
And kings sat still with awful eye, 
As if they surely knew then sov'reign Lord was by." 

But this was a brief calm. The elements of contention, awed and lulled 
for a moment by the actual presence of the Prince of Peace, were gathering up 
their strength for a whirlwind of indignation and wrath, tribulation and 
anguish, such as the world never saw. The black cloud of woes foreseen and 
foretold by the Saviour of men, burst at once upon the devoted land which 
had rejected and crucified the Son of God. Had the fighting armies of the 
historian descended from the sky, they could not have wrought more woe upon 
Palestine. Then arose the voice of wailing, when the four sore judgments of 
God, fire and sword, famine and pestilence, were poured out together Upon His 
disobedient children. TVho can call to mind that fearful epitome of misery, 
captivity and blood in the history of the ploughing up of the Holy City by the 
myrmidons of Titus, without exclaiming with Him who wept over it, ' J eru- 



44 



WOES OF JEBUSALEM. 



salem, Jerusalem, that killest the prophets !' Once brought under the yoke of 
the Romans, Jerusalem was ever after and is still ' trodden down of the Gen- 
tiles.' The now effeminate Eoman yields before the blaspheming Saracen, nor 
is the miraculous prowess of the Crusaders in that wondrous agony of Europe 
in her middle age, able to accomplish the redemption of the sepulchre of 
Christ. Alas ! alas ! with our own eyes have we seen ! and in anguish of spirit 
have been moved to exclaim, "How long, Lord, how long!" The bearded 
Turk still sits in the gate ; the trembling Christian pilgrim begs an entrance of 
the haughty Muslim ; the Jew crouches in his own city to the children of 
the Saladin ; the Cross is yet in the dust, and the crescent waves proudly to-day 
above the battlements of Jerusalem ! 

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS. 

The earliest and briefest description of the Land of Promise gives us also 
the most lively and accurate picture of its general aspect : ' It is a land of 
hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven.' (Deuteronomy 
xi. 2.) It offers, herein, a perfect contrast to the Land of Bondage. Introdu- 
cing the words just quoted, Moses says to the children of Israel, ' For the land 
whither thou goest to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye 
came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a gar- 
den of herbs.' A continuous plain forms the cultivated portion of Egypt, and 
upon the greater part of it rain never falls. This remarkable want is supplied, 
for a time, by the annual overflow of the mysterious river, and by artificial 
means from the same source, when the Nile has again receded within its banks. 
The water is then distributed to the fields from reservoirs, along small, shallow 
gutters, which are banked up or opened, as occasion may require, by pressing 
in the earth with the foot. Thus was the land of Groshen watered. In the 
Land of Promise such labor and watchfulness were needed no longer ; for there 
the hills attracted the frequent clouds, and the early and the latter rain de- 
scended to refresh the valleys. 

Mountains and high hills shoot up in all directions, and greet the approach- 



LEBANON. 



45 



ing traveller from every quarter. During the sacred pilgrimage he never loses 
sight of them, and when he leaves the consecrated soil they are the last objects 
to wh ich he turns and bids a lingering farewell. These great features of the 
country are prominent in the Sacred Scriptures, and are presented in a livelier 
image by expressions which denote ascending and descending, in the journeys 
of individuals. Thus we " go up" to Jerusalem, but " go clown" to Jericho. 
In whatever direction you travel in Judea, your course must cross or wind 
among the beautiful valleys embosomed amid these mountains and hills. 
Sometimes they are clustered together, but more frequently extend in chains 
or ranges, with a general bearing from north to south. The northern boun- 
dary of Palestine is a mountainous region, abutting upon the very shores of 
the Mediterranean Sea, upon the west, and stretching eastward to the valley of 
Damascus. This is Lebanon ; not one, but many mountains. The high cen- 
tral peak which overtops them all is covered with eternal snows ; and hence its 
Hebrew name, which signifies " White Mountain." Sometimes Lebanon is lost 
in the clouds, or throws back the sun from its cold, white summits, while the 
sides of his hundred hills are clothed with majestic forests, or dotted over with 
villages, and the valleys at his base, watered by ever-running brooks, rejoice in 
extreme fertility. Hence that eloquent and animated description of the Arab 
poet, whose words without his name, I have met in a French author : t£ Upon 
his head Lebanon bears the Winter, upon his shoulders the Spring, and Au- 
tumn reclines on his bosom, while Summer lies sleeping at his feet." But 
poets and prophets of a loftier inspiration, David, Solomon and Isaiah have 
drawn from Lebanon frequent imagery, beautiful and sublime, to dignify the 
language of their inspiration and illustrate to man the messages of heaven. 
From this region, rendered so familiar to us by our Bibles, and replete with 
ancient, deep and holy associations, let us take our departure for a rapid survey 
of mountains, hills and valleys more sacred still. This will be a good prepa- 
ration for the fuller notice we shall give them in the progress of our tour. 

Lebanon is the source of two principal ridges which run clown, nearly 
parallel to each other, in a southerly direction, and now bear the names of 
Libanus and Anti-Libanus ; though in the Bible they are both included under 



46 



HERMON MOUNT OF BEATITUDES. 



the former appellation. They inclose an extensive and fertile valley, called by 
ancient profane authors Coele-Syria or Hollow Syria, but in the Bible the ' Val- 
ley of Lebanon.' (Joshua xl. 17.) In this valley, near the Anti-Libanus 
range, are found the ruins of Baalbeck, the colossal stones in the foundation 
of whose temple would seem to give weight to the supposition, that it is the 
same with Baa-lath or Baal-gad, and one of the cities built by Solomon. At 
the southern termination of this valley the two mountain ranges come together, 
and from their midst, in majestic beauty swells up Mount Hermon, with its 
snow-capped summit, and from its base it nourishes the springs which form the 
source of the Jordan. The mountain ridges now retire again to the west and 
east, and give space for this river to run into its first basin, the small lake 
where, in the days of Joshua, ' the kings came and pitched together at the 
waters of Merom to fight against Israel.' (Joshua xi. 5.) These ridges con- 
tinue their direction south until that on the western side ends in Mount ISTaph- 
tali (Joshua xx. 7), now called Safed. Upon one of its lofty summits is a city, 
whose white walls and houses can be seen at a far distance around, and this is 
supposed to have been the one to which our Lord made His allusion, when in 
the Sermon on the Mount He said, ' A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid,' 
for it is in full view from the spot where this sermon was spoken. The other 
ridge embraces the sea of Galilee on the east, and both ridges become de- 
pressed into high table lands, in which this sea reposes as in a basin. From 
lake Merom the Jordan pursues its course, forcing its way through the high 
table land till it falls into the lake of Gennesareth or sea of Galilee, which is 
about thirteen miles in length by about seven in breadth. Upon the high 
plain to the right of the sea of Galilee looking south, rises up to the height 
of about three hundred feet, a hill distinguished from surrounding elevations 
by its lengthened and level top, terminated by two prominences, which might 
cause it to be described as saddle-shaped. This is the Mount of Beatitudes, 
where our Lord pronounced His sermon, and near the base of which He fed 
the famishing multitude with the two loaves and fishes. At some distance 
farther south you see a remarkable mountain, which is disconnected from all 
the others, and rests upon the plain as though piled up by Cyclopean labor. It 



TABOR ESDRAELON CARMEL. 



47 



is cone-shaped, with a truncated top, leaving a level surface of abont a mile in 
length. This is Tabor, called also the Mount of Transfiguration. From this 
noble platform a most commanding view may be had of an extensive portion 
of Palestine. In the far north Hermon lifts its white crest ; nearer by, in the 
same direction, is the table land of which we have spoken, in whose hollow the 
sea of Galilee reposes. The Jordan flows through this sea, but as it is said, 
without mingling with its waters, and finds an outlet at the southern extremity. 
From thence it pursues its course for seventy miles with a rapid descent till lost 
in the Dead Sea. Beyond this river toward the east lie the mountains of 
Grilead. To the southwest stretches out the broad, beautiful and fertile plain 
of Esdraelon, the largest in Palestine, being about thirty miles in length and 
about twenty in breadth. This plain is surrounded by lofty and innumerable 
hills. To the north, and six miles west from Tabor, from whose summit we 
are looking, are the hills of Nazareth. Upon the eastern edge of the plain are 
little Hermon and the mountains of Grilboa. On the south a series of hills and 
valleys extend for fifty miles as far as Jerusalem. From there, running north 
and west, an extensive range springing up abruptly from the plain partly en- 
circles it, and terminates on the lofty promontory of Mount Carmel. This juts 
out into the sea, and at its base the 'ancient river Kishon,' which, rising from 
the foot of Tabor, had watered the northern portion of the valley, finds its 
way to the Mediterranean. 

We leave now our lofty point of observation, and travelling southward 
across the plain of Esdraelon, leaving little Hermon and the mountains of 
Grilboa on our left hand near by, and the range of Carmel far away on our 
right, we come to Samaria, a region of confused hills with valleys winding 
through them in all directions. This is the very centre of the Holy Land. 
The northern portion comprises the mountains of Ephraim, and of Israel. Of 
these the most celebrated are Mount Ebal and Mount Grerizim, which 
stand fronting and quite near to each other on opposite sides of a narrow 
valley. 

The mountains of Judah or Judea, in which dwelt the Amorites of old, are 
of the same range with those of Israel, and are not divided from them by any 



48 



MOUNTAINS OF JUDAH PLAIN OF SHAEON. 



natural boundary, but run south through the whole extent of the Holy Land 
and beyond it, till they are lost in the desert. Amongst these Jerusalem is 
situated, upon its own sacred hills with 1 the mountains round about.' Upon 
the east, and separated only by the narrow valley of Jehoshaphat, through 
which runs the brook Kedron, is the Mount of Olives. From its top, looking 
west, the Holy City lies spread out beneath you upon Moriah, Zion and Cal- 
vary, and beyond, on every side, is the hill country of Judea. Now turning 
towards the northeast the eye meets only rocky hills and barren valleys. In 
this desolate region tradition says that the temptation of our Lord was endured. 
These hills run all along the valley of the Jordan and the borders of the Dead 
Sea, till, at its southern extremity, they meet the mountains of Moab, and there 
form the high dam which shuts it in. The Mount of Olives being still your 
point of observation, looking east you have the ' valley of the Jordan ; south- 
east you catch a glimpse of the Dead Sea, and beyond it is a range of moun- 
tains rising peak above peak. These are the mountains of Abarim and of 
Moab. The highest of these peaks is pointed out as that to which ' Moses 
went up from the plains of Moab, unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of 
Pisgah, that is over against Jericho.' (Deuteronomy xxxiv. 1.) 

The mountain region extends to the south of Jerusalem, and forms a por- 
tion of the 1 hill country of Judea.' In this direction are Bethlehem about six 
miles distant, Hebron twenty, and Beersheba twenty more from the Holy 
City. To the west the same succession of hills and valleys stretches away 
towards the sea, until it ends upon a wide tract of level country. This beauti- 
ful and fertile plain extends along the Mediterranean, from the foot of Carmel 
on the north to Graza on the south. It is broken occasionally by high grounds 
and watered by several brooks, the chief of which is Sorek, in the valley 
where Samson found the false Delilah. From Graza as far north as Joppa, lies 
' the pleasant land of the Philistines ;' and here were their five cities, Gaza, 
Ashdod, Askelon, Ekron and Grath. From J oppa to the foot of Carmel, is the 
plain of Sharon, so famed for its beauty, that in the Song of Songs the royal 
poet compares his bride to the rose of Sharon, and so remarkable for its fertility 
that when the prophet Isaiah sought a contrast to the wilderness and the 



FERTILITY CLIMATE. 



49 



desert, he chose 'the glory of Lebanon, and the excellency of Carmel and 
Sharon.' (Isaiah xxxv. 2.) 

"We have thus taken a rapid view of the principal physical characteristics 
of the Land of Promise. We have seen how well it accords with the descrip- 
tion of Moses that it is 'a land of hills and valleys.' It is not, like Switzerland, 
a land of mountains, large portions of which are inaccessible and unfit for culti- 
vation. There is perhaps no part of the globe of the same superficial extent, 
capable of yielding so large a return of so great a variety of products to the 
hand of cultivation. It must not escape our observation, however, that the 
actual surface of the Holy Land is far greater than the mere geographical esti- 
mate in square miles ; for the constant succession of arable hills gives to the 
husbandman's care the two sides of the triangle instead of the base. Wherever 
this care has been exercised in even a moderate degree, the valleys repay it 
with an exuberant fertility. The hills too, with few exceptions, might now be 
cultivated to their very summits, were they laid out in terraces, as was probably 
the case in ancient times. For this arrangement they seem to be admirably 
adapted by their original structure. The rocky skeleton lies rib upon rib in 
horizontal strata, presenting at a distance the appearance of wavy lines of a 
dingy color, running round from top to bottom, and alternating with strips of 
green. Now they are naked and furnish only a thin pasturage for sheep and 
goats ; but were the artificial walls and embankments restored, the soil, which 
has been washed away during ages of neglect, would soon accumulate and give 
rich support to the vine, and the fig-tree, and the olive. Then once again 1 the 
little hills would rejoice, on every side, and the valleys would stand so thick 
with corn that they would laugh and sing.' 

The climate also of Palestine favors in a remarkable degree this great 
variety of vegetable productions. If its latitude is so far south as to bring it 
near to the influences of a tropical sun, its mountainous formation moderates 
this excessive heat, and a few leagues or even miles often cause a sensible 
change in the temperature of the air. Hence, within the compass of a small 
district you find in equal luxiiriance the palm-tree, the orange, the fig and the 
almond, with many productions that elsewhere grow only in more northern 

7 



50 



ANCIENT PALESTINE. 



regions. The account therefore which Moses gave to the Israelites of the fer- 
tility of the Land of Promise, was not less accurate than his description of its 
general aspect : ' For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land 
of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and 
hills ; a land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig-trees and pomegranates, a 
land of oil-olive, and honey.' Such being its capabilities, were it now inhab- 
ited by a virtuous and industrious people, under a wise and paternal govern- 
ment, the inspired promise in relation to its inhabitants might still be fulfilled : 
1 A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness ; thou shalt not lack 
any thing in it.' 

THE PAST, THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE OF PALESTINE. 

Our cold and accurate northern language can add nothing to the glowing 
Oriental images by which the Holy Scriptures delight to portray the beauty, 
fertility and prosperity of ancient Palestine. That ' pleasant land of the Phi- 
listines,' if we may use this expression in its largest comprehension, is called 
by the Prophet Ezekiel ' the glory of all lands,' and one which God Himself had 
" espied" or chosen out of all countries for His own people. It has long been 
a household expression in Christendom, that it was a land ' flowing with milk 
and honey.' This is made yet more striking by a comparison with Egypt, 
which nevertheless was famous for its fertility. And the children of Israel had 
been planted in the best of that good land, for Pharaoh said unto Joseph, 
' The land of Egypt is before thee : in the best of the land make thy father 
and thy brethren to dwell ; in the land of Goshen let them dwell.' Yet God 
had said, 1 1 will bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large.' 
And before they had received the inheritance promised to Abraham, they were 
told that it nourished a mighty people : ' Hear, O Israel : thou art to pass over 
Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, 
cities great and fenced up to heaven : a people great and tall, the children of 
the Anakims, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, Who can 
stand before the children of Anak !' When, by the commandment of God, 



GBAPES OF ESHCOL POPULOUSKESS. 



51 



Moses sent a man from each of the tribes to 1 spy out the land.' they were so 
astonished at its fruitfulness, that knowing their report would not be credited, 
they brought of the fruit of the land ; for £ they came unto the brook of Eshcol, 
and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare 
it between two upon a staff and their report was, ' TVe came unto the land 
whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey and then 
pointing to the silent but eloquent witness of a single cluster of grapes which 
was a burden for two men, they exclaimed triumphantly, ' This is the fruit of 
it.' And of the inhabitants they said, ' TVe were in our own sight as grasshop- 
pers, and so we were in their sight.' So disheartened were the people by the 
report of the spies concerning the greatness and prosperity of the promised 
land, that they were ready to rebel, choose them a captain, and return in despair 
to the bondage of Egypt. 

This warm and vivid picture of the ancient glory and fertility of Palestine, 
which is so often set before us by the sacred writers, is corroborated by the 
testimony of the profane historian. Though the judgments of God seemed to 
concur with the prejudices of the East, to prevent our knowledge of its ancient 
statistics, we may still believe that the inhabitants of the land, in its highest 
prosperity, were scarcely less in number than four or five millions. To support 
this vast population on a territory comparatively small, the whole country must 
have been a garden, and as such it is always described. It is well known that 
the Oriental nations are far more abstemious than ourselves ; and this is espe- 
cially the case with those who dwell near the tropics. The climate and the 
conformation of Palestine were peculiarly adapted to produce in the greatest 
abundance those fruits in which the people of the East have always found their 
principal nourishment, leaving to the dwellers in a colder clime the grosser sus- 
tenance of animal food. Hence the fertility of the country is chiefly set forth 
by descriptions in which the fruits of a southern sky occupy a prominent place. 
Its hills, as we have seen, were cultivated to their summits, and rejoiced in the 
fatness of the olive and the richness of the vine. Its plains teemed with 
abundance of wheat, and the eye roamed over a very £t wilderness of fertility." 
The rich soil of the valleys and the hills basked in a perpetual summer, and 



52 



BEAUTY AND FERTILITY SAD CHANGE. 



yielded successive harvests without stay or stint. The majestic cedars of Leba- 
non and the strong oaks of Bashan waved on the mountains above the olive- 
orchards, the vineyards and the rig-trees, which clothed the hill-sides with 
richness, while below them still the plains and the valleys were stored with an 
abundance of bread. Every where the little rills ran among the meadows, and 
the leaves of the trees were green that were £ planted by the rivers of water.' 
The prayer of Isaac when he gave his blessing to Jacob, was indeed answered ; 
for God gave His children ' a field which the Lord had blessed — the dew of 
heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine.' " The sun 
smote not by day, nor the moon by night ; the birds sang among the branches ; 
the dew lay thick in Hermon. There was balm in Gilead. The lign-aloe 
drooped from the river-bank. Kedron and Jordan poured forth their streams, 
the rain also filled the pools. Lakes glistened in the landscape, and cooled the 
drought. Beautiful for situation was Mount Zion. The cattle browsed on a 
thousand hills. The 1 excellency of Carmel ' and £ the glory of Lebanon ' set 
their pinnacles against the deep azure of Canaan's sky. The year was crowned 
with goodness. The Lord God cared for that land, and His eye was always 
upon it." 

But alas ! . how changed is all this prosperity, this glory, this fruitfulness, 
this wealth of her children ! 1 How doth the city sit solitary that was full of 
people! how is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations, 
and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary !' The beauty 
of the land, her sacred hills, her famous rivers, her memorable places, may re- 
main, but the beauty of Israel is departed ! The cold and forbidding winter 
upon the head of Lebanon continues unchanged, and a few of his matchless 
cedars still remind the pious traveller of that grove of his God ; but the promise 
of spring, the maturity of summer, and the fulness of autumn, are there no 
longer! There is yet a rose in Sharon, a lily in the valley, but few grapes at 
Eshcol. The fragrance of the spikenard, the myrrh, and the camphire, is wafted 
no longer from the gardens of spices ! The vineyards upon the hill-sides have 
been neglected and have perished ; the olive-trees are cut down, and the fig-trees 
are blasted and withered ! The terraced gardens of the hills have disappeared, 



CAUSED BY DISOBEDIENCE. 



53 



the rich mould is washed away, and sterile and arid rocks deform the landscape. 
Instead of fields waving with luxuriant green, or yellow with a golden promise, 
or already 'white unto the harvest,' the traveller crosses a waste covered with 
heaps of stones, or is impeded on his melancholy way by the weeds and thorns 
and briers which beset his path. The pastures are no longer clothed with flocks ; 
but a few sheep and goats pick a scanty subsistence from the ungrateful plains 
and the barren hills. The ploughman no longer overtakes the reaper, nor the 
treader of grapes him that sowed the seed. The wretched inhabitants are not 
filled with the finest of the wheat ; the barns are not burdened with plenty, nor 
do the presses burst out with new wine. The joy of the little hills has ceased, 
the song and the laughter of the valleys are gone, and the clouds drop their 
fatness no more upon Palestine ! 

And why is all this ? whence so sad a change ? The answer is at hand. It 
is enough for the Christian pilgrim to know that this melancholy picture is the 
visible witness to the certainty of prophecy. The Holy Land is at this moment 
a double monument of the justice and the truth of God. ' If ye be willing and 
obedient ye shall eat the good of the land : but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall 
be devoured by the sword ; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.' (Isaiah 
i. 19, 20.) 

All reasons, therefore, for the barren, wasted and unhappy condition of Pa- 
lestine, may be summed up in one, Disobedience. For the sin of disobedience, 
the whole nation lingered forty years in the wilderness, until that generation 
had passed the boundaries of the grave, but not the fords of Jordan. Nor did 
the children learn wisdom from the example and the ruin of their fathers. 
Disobedience marked their entrance into the land which was to be the reward 
of their loyalty to Jehovah ; for they had scarcely crossed over the miraculous 
river, before they dissembled with God, and were punished for their avarice by 
falling before the men of Ai. Thus was the first bloodshed, from which that 
doomed land has never long been free, directly caused by their sin. God had 
commanded them to destroy the idolatrous nations and establish his pure wor- 
ship ; but after a while they forgot his words, * were mingled among the heathen 
and learned their works.' They were strictly enjoined to make no marriages 



54 



PROPHECY FULFILLED. 



with the people of the land, lest this also should be a snare to turn them away 
from the true God ; but they gave little heed to the command, and were punished 
with pestilence. Nor was it the voice of pity to which they listened ; for there 
is no record that they ever hearkened to the cry of humanity when it interfered 
with their avarice, their interest, or their pleasure. They were ever disobedient 
to serve selfish ends. 

Saul could say, indeed, ' the people spared the best of the sheep and of the 
oxen to sacrifice unto the Lord ; ' but he was sufficiently rebuked by the answer 
of Samuel, ' Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice; and to hearken than the 
fat of rams.' 

Thus they continued a rebellious and stiff-necked generation throughout 
their national existence, until they filled up the measure of their iniquities 
by rejecting and crucifying the Son of Grod. From that awful day, according 
to their own fearful imprecation, His blood has indeed been upon them and 
their children. 

But the blessings which should reward their obedience, and the curses 
which should beset their stubbornness, are fully prophesied by Moses in the 
twenty-eighth chapter of Deuteronomy. The pen of history would fail in the 
attempt to chronicle the woes that have been the portion of a disobedient 
people, should she endeavor to find, in her portraiture of the past, a more 
unerring guide than the picture which the inspired penman drew from his 
vision of the future. 

But while I refer you to this remarkable portion of the Scriptures, there 
are some passages which so fully explain the difference between the ancient 
and the modern Palestine, that they cannot be left unquoted here : ' The 
heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee 
shall be iron.' ' Thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a by- word 
among all nations.' ' The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee 
very high ; and thou shalt come down very low.' ' The Lord shall bring a 
nation against thee of fierce countenance,' — 'whose tongue thou shalt not 
understand.' ' And the Lord shall scatter thee among all people, from the one 
end of the earth even unto the other.' Who can look, at the present day, 



CHEER IN THE FUTUEE. 



55 



upon Palestine and the condition of the Hebrews, and fail to be filled with awe 
that these are the words of prophecy, and not the words of history ? 

But is there any cheer in the Future, that bright point to which we always 
turn while we giye our regrets to the Past, and our tears to the Present ? 
At this question the heart of the Christian becomes a well-spring of Hope, 
and the patient eye of Faith gladly hails the sunbeam breaking through the 
dark clouds that hang oyer the land of Immanuel. Joyfully we remember 
the promises that the Lord will not utterly forsake his people, and that kings 
and princes shall make haste to restore them ; that the Gentiles shall come 
to their light, and kings to the brightness of their rising. 

It was not without significance that the ancient geographers called Palestine 
' the centre of the world ;' for whatever title she may have to this distinction 
from her remarkable physical position, she certainly has that claim upon the 
minds of men. More especially do the eyes of all Christians turn to the 
Holy Land as a central point of attraction. Upon her hills and in her valleys 
were first uttered those sacred songs which have attuned the heart of Chris- 
tendom to melody and devotion. Over those fields walked Patriarchs and 
Prophets, inspired and gifted Poets and Seers. What hovel, from the banks 
of the Ganges to the Father of waters, has not been cheered and enlivened, 
and built up to do and to suffer by the strains which the stripling in Israel 
sang on the hill-side, when he tended those few sheep in the wilderness ! 
Who would not rejoice to see Cod's people restored to the city of God, and 
to behold the Desire of all nations coming again to His temple ! Therefore is 
Palestine even now the Centre of the World. Does she not sit as a princess 
of the provinces between the riches of India and the civilization of Europe ? 
And shall the Holy Land have no lot nor part in either ? Shall she receive 
nothing from the children of the Crusaders, nor from the Saxon conquerors 
of the East ? Shall Ethiopia stretch out her hands unto God, while Palestine 
is for ever trodden down of the Muslim ? No, it cannot be ! The wilderness 
and the solitary place shall be glad once more for the outcasts of Israel, when 
they are gathered from all places among the Gentiles ; when the times allowed 
to the Gentiles shall be fulfilled, Jerusalem shall be trodden down of them no 



56 



LAND OF PEOMISE. 



more j plenty shall be again in her valleys, and oliye-yards upon her plains, 
the vine and fig-tree shall adorn her hills ; the myrtle shall creep upon the 
sides, and the cedar tower upon the summits of Lebanon. Armies shall cease 
to contend in her fields, for the Prince of Peace shall be enthroned in the 
hearts of her children ; the long ages of exaction, tyranny, and bloodshed 
shall cease, for 'violence shall no more be heard in the land, wasting nor 
destruction within her borders.' 

Let Palestine then be to me what she ever has been in the world, from 
the earliest ages, emphatically the Land of Promise. It was the Land of 
Promise to that pilgrim of old, who wandered here without a spot that he 
could call his own, but believed in God and became the Father of the Faithful. 
It was the promised land to the children of Israel, when they left the slavery 
of Egypt for the freedom of the people of God. • It was the Land of Promise 
to all nations, when they looked for a Deliverer in whom all the families 
of the earth should be blessed. It is the Land of Promise to that wonderful 
people who are scattered throughout the world, but not mingled with the 
tribes of other men, ever looking forward to their restoration to the good land 
which the Lord God gave unto their fathers. 

So shall it be to me. Whether I look as now, from its borders, expecting 
soon to behold the consecrated sites, which have been dear to me from the 
dawn of reason ; whether my mind turns to the page of prophecy, so dis- 
tinctly foreshadowing its future glory ; whether I behold the living argument 
of a whole people praying and expecting their return to the land from which 
they are gone out ; or whether I consider the great salvation and the hopes 
that were bought for me and mankind upon its sacred soil, it must ever 
remain to me, and to all who look for His second coming, without sin, unto 
salvation, The Land of Promise. 



SAMSON. 



Urnmrnj from tjj* borers of \\)t lanb nf ^rnraist 

to I trasalcra. 

Having now prepared ourselves to enter upon a sacred pilgrimage in 
Palestine, we look forward, in the middle of the Holy "Week, to the events 
which he before us in the Holy Land. Full of the affecting considerations 
awakened by a thoughtful survey of its narrow limits, its sacred names, its 
eventful history, its natural features, its past and present condition, and with 
hearts buoyed up by hope in its unknown destiny, we enter once more upon 
the narrative of our journey. 

April 4th, Wednesday. — We were no laggards this morning, but were up 
by daylight to hasten our departure from an irksome confinement. To load 
our camels and bring up the horses which we had engaged for the rest of the 
journey, occupied the men longer than we had anticipated, and it was seven 
o'clock before we were fairly under way. At the distance of half a mile from 
the Lazaretto, we passed the town of Graza. A ruinous pile of masonry was 
pointed out to us as the site of the gate carried away by Samson. We heard 
that it was much larger some years ago, and had the appearance of having 
been a very considerable structure. Probably it was part of the wall which 
surrounded the town ; but its arches or recesses becoming a resort for thieves, 
and serving as a cover for their depredations upon travellers, it was demolished, 
leaving only the present shapeless ruin. We are told that Samson 1 took the 
doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, 
bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top 
of a hill that is before Hebron,' (Judges xvi. 3) ; and as this ruin is towards 
Hebron, there seems no improbability in its being upon the site of Samson's 
achievement. Perhaps if the foundations could be closely examined, they 

8 



58 



GAZA, THE STKONG. 



would give evidence of great antiquity ; but the size of the ancient Gaza, 
so renowned and so named for its "strength," can only be estimated by the 
extent of the hill on which it was situated. There is a tradition here, that 
seems probable enough, which points out the hill to which the strong man 
carried the gates of Gaza "the strong." The situation of Graza, on the borders 
of the desert, and on the great route from Egypt to Palestine, made it a city 
of great importance to ancient commerce ; and it must always remain, in 
modern times, a place of outfit and replenishing for caravans and travellers 
who are about to enter upon the journey across the desert, or are already 
exhausted by passing through it. It was a place of high antiquity, as appears 
from Gen. x. 19, and was the southern boundary of Palestine. Ancient and 
modern travellers speak of its population and riches. Bernard the Wise, in 
the year 867 says, " after Albacara the earth becomes fruitful, and continues 
so to the city of Graza, which was the city of Samson, and is very rich in all 
things." In the fourteenth century, Sir John Maundeville says, " the city of 
Palestine, which was of the Philistines, now called Gaza, is a gay and rich city ; 
and it is very fair, and full of people, and is at a little distance from the sea." 
In the fifteenth century, " Bertrandon de la Brocquiere, a native of the duchy of 
Guienne, lord of Yieux-Chateau, counsellor and first esquire-carver " to Philip, 
Duke of Burgundy, wrote out an account of his " short travels, in order that 
if any king or Christian prince should wish to make the conquest of Jerusalem, 
and lead thither an army overland, or if any gentleman should be desirous of 
travelling thither, they may be made acquainted with all the towns, cities, 
regions, countries, rivers, mountains, and passes in the different districts, as 
well as the lords to whom they belong, from the duchy of Burgundy to Jeru- 
salem." He tells us that " Gaza, situated in a fine country near the sea, and at 
the entrance of the desert, is a strong town, although uninclosed. It is pre- 
tended that it formerly belonged to the famous Samson. His palace is still 
shown,' and also the columns of that which he pulled down ; but I dare not 
affirm that these are the same. Pilgrims are harshly treated there." 

Our road passed near a mosque, built upon the foundations of a church, 
said to have been erected by the empress Helena. It then led into an extensive 



THE PLEASANT LAND OF THE PHILISTINES. 



59 



grove of very ancient olive-trees. Gaza certainly seems to be beautiful by 
situation in a fertile region. Immediately in its vicinity are fields separated 
from each other by thick hedges of the prickly pear, which makes a very 
formidable and not unsightly fence. After passing some sandy hills, a spur 
from those which run along the coast and thus form a high barrier between the 
sea and the fertile soil, we came to an extensive plain, bounded at a long dis- 
tance by high hills, which we knew to be the district called the hill country of 
Judea. What associations did the sight of these hills awaken ! We were now 
travelling along the pleasant land of the Philistines, and truly it is still well 
worthy of that name. For the whole day our road wound through rich fields of 
wheat, interspersed with meadows bright with flowers of various hue, and espe- 
cially the red poppy, which, in spots, almost obliterated the green. We passed a 
few villages or small towns near our path, and saw several at a distance upon 
the tops and sides of the hills. While we were crossing the desert, we had 
gained a vivid impression of the punishment of the children of Israel when, 
upon the very L orders of the Land of Promise, they were compelled to wan- 
der yet forty years in £ the waste howling wilderness,' where they murmured 
'against God and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of 
Egypt to die in the wilderness ?' ' It is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, 
or of pomegranates ; neither is there any water to drink.' But here, the 
smiling villages, rising upon the hill-sides out of the heart of a beautiful and 
fertile country, reminded us of their continued disobedience, when God suffered 
the Philistines to remain in large numbers in this fruitful land, and to wage 
war, not always unsuccessfully, with his chosen but rebellious people. Either 
from the force of the strong contrast with the desert which we had left behind 
us, or, as I am inclined to think, from the surpassing richness of the country 
through which our road now lay, it appeared to me rejoicing in abundance, 
and crowned with the goodness of God. It once contained a very large popu- 
lation, and nourished many valiant warriors, and even now appears fitted to 
maintain a brood of giants and strong men, like Samson and the champion 
of Gath. 

We rode for miles through fields of flourishing wheat, on both sides of us, 



60 



ORIENTAL TOMBS. GREAT CHANGES. 



and over a country of an undulating surface, with the lofty hills at some distance 
on the right. These we were constantly approaching, and the landscape there- 
fore as constantly changed its character, as to the general features ; but we had 
ever before and around us the refreshing verdure, and were cheered by the 
sight of the flowers, and the music of the birds, that had been so pleasant on 
our road to Gaza. 

Towards afternoon the ground became more uneven, and was broken into 
hill and dale. The hills, so distant in the morning, became more defined in their 
outlines, appearing now to lap one over the other. The tombs of the Mussul- 
man saints, built up to the height of ten or fifteen feet, of substantial stone- 
work surmounted by a white dome, gave an oriental aspect to the scenery, and 
reminded us of the wonderful vicissitudes among the peoples and the religions 
which successive ages had seen to rise, flourish, and decay in this interesting 
land. Here Dagon, the helpless idol of the Philistines, had been worshipped 
and overthrown ; and here for ages the followers of a false prophet had held 
the dominion ; but who can doubt that the Ancient of Days, Jehovah of the 
Hebrews, who had revealed himself through his Son, in the last ages, as the 
God of Christians, shall yet take to Himself His great power, and gloriously 
reign over His own people in His own land ? With this hope we consoled 
ourselves for the desolation of Israel and the Church of Grod. 

A beautiful view of the 'Great Sea' enlivened one part of our journey 
to-day, and the people of the villages attracted our attention, and I am sorry 
to say our commiseration also ; for many of them live in wretched huts, dis- 
orderly, dirty, and uncomfortable. It is hardly necessary to add, that they 
seemed rather morose than lively, though they were willing to impart informa- 
tion, and thus to assist rather than retard our journey. But the apathy which 
comes from long oppression had set its seal upon them. 

We were glad to reach a resting place at sundown, and encamped upon the 
slope of a hill, excessively fatigued by eleven hours of constant riding. As 
soon as we could get our tents pitched, and refresh ourselves with a cup of tea, 
we retired to rest, that we might be well prepared to go up to Jerusalem on 
the morrow. 



A KUNNING BKOOK — A KOOKY WAY. 



61 



April 5th, Thursday before Easter. — We left our encampment about five 
o'clock, in order to avoid the heat of the day, and to reach J erusalem in good 
season. For the same purpose we proceeded with the horses, committing our 
camp equipage to the care of our attendants, with directions to follow us with 
the camels as soon as practicable. This was an April day, for we had frequent 
showers, and the appearance of the day put us strongly in mind of our own, 
being very different from any that we had passed in Egypt. We had not 
proceeded far before we crossed a small running stream, the first we had seen 
for many days. Indeed, although we had been on the waters of the majestic 
Nile, we had not heard the sound of a running brook since we had been upon 
our expedition. Yery delightful and cheering it was to us now, so recently 
from the barren and thirsty desert, to be among green fields, and swelling hills, 
and running brooks, and to hear the constant song of the sky -lark which has 
accompanied us every step of our way yesterday and this morning. We could 
now realize the full force of the promise made to the Israelites, when coming 
from the wilderness, that they should be brought into a good land ; a land 
of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys 
and hills. (Deut. viii. 7.) But gradually as we approached the hills, we could 
perceive their characteristic features ; ridges of rock running from top to 
bottom, in uneven lines with green strips interspersed. At last a gorge or 
narrow valley presented itself, into which our path led, and which we were to 
follow until we came near to Jerusalem. This was the main road from Kamla, 
and has for centuries been the principal road to the Holy City in this direction. 
We had been incommoded by showers during the day, and this rendered the 
path, at best but very bad, exceedingly disagreeable to travel. It would be 
utterly impracticable for wheels, and it seemed surprising how camels loaded 
could make their way over it. Horses not accustomed to it could riot possibly 
travel it with safety to the rider. It was narrow, rocky, in ledges and broken 
fragments, often precipitous and winding amongst the lofty hills which rose 
abruptly on both sides. It led us by degrees higher and higher, until at last 
arriving at one summit, we obtained a distant view of the green plains which 
we travelled over yesterday, of the sandy hills that bound them, and the 



62 



DBA WING NEAR TO JEEUSALEM. 



Mediterranean Sea beyond. When within about four hours of the city, we 
descended into a valley where there was a greater extent of cultivated ground. 
Here we saw, for the first time, vines, and in the same inclosure fig-trees ; but 
the people to whom the promise had been made that every man should sit 
under his own vine and fig-tree, had been driven far away. They had broken 
the conditions, for they had been disobedient, and strangers who were their 
enemies and oppressors now possessed the land. It is ' overthrown by 
strangers.' 

We were now approaching the point whence we should gain the first view 
of the Holy City, and shared the emotions of the ten thousands of pilgrims who 
had visited before us the most remarkable spot on the earth. We should soon 
behold with our own eyes that city in the world, which Grod had chosen out 
of heaven, and which the King of kings had delighted to honor. Who can 
number the thoughts that crowd around the walls of Jerusalem ! The voice 
of history, sounding to us from the distant ages, tells us of a city here, more 
venerable by antiquity than any other which the world has now remaining. 
Athens and Sparta are young in presence of the age of Jerusalem. Homer, 
and even his oldest heroes and fabulous demigods, Nestor and Hercules them- 
selves, are but moderns compared with the ancient men of Jerusalem. Here 
the majestic temple of Solomon already raised its pinnacles ; and David had 
sung upon the hills and in the valleys of Jewry before the exploits of Aga- 
memnon and Achilles had been made immortal by the " Eagle of Song." 
More than a thousand years before Kome, " the Eternal City," was founded, 
we are presented with the sublime and affecting picture of Abraham the 
Patriarch blessing the priest and the prince, who was Melchizedek the king of 
Salem, this city of peace. Above all, He of whom the king of Salem was but 
a type, had walked in her streets and preached to her multitudes. He had 
moistened the very earth with His tears and His blood. Prophets, apostles, 
martyrs had been here, and the pilgrims of all nations and ages had gone up 
to Jerusalem before us. 

The season too joined its influence to these and kindred thoughts to fill our 
minds with solemnity and awe, as we drew near to the consecrated site. It 



FIRST VIEW OF JERUSALEM. 



63 



had been our earnest desire to arrive in time to celebrate the whole of Passion 
Week in the Holy City. We should have walked over the same ground, and 
visited in succession all the places rendered memorable by that week — the 
week above all others of sacred mysteries — beginning with Palm Sunday, 
when our Lord, accompanied by His disciples, crossed over the Mount of 
Olives, seated upon 1 a colt, the foal of an ass,' and entered the city in triumph. 
We trust we may yet fulfil our purpose, so as to have a full association of 
places with our Lord's Passion, though we shall not be able to do it in strict 
anniversary. 

At length the road ascended the last, long rocky hill, and when we had 
reached the summit, it seemed as if the very landscape around us had suffered 
from the vengeance of heaven. Vegetation had almost ceased. A stony plain, 
a desert of rocks announced our approach. We press on over the rocky way, 
slightly descending ; we gain the point where the first view is obtained of the 
city, and now, buried in silence, we behold thy walls, Jerusalem ! 

By this road the city is first seen only about ten minutes before you enter 
the Jaffa or Bethlehem gate. As it stands upon a hollow opening to the east, 
the walls being built upon higher ground to the north and west, you cannot 
see the interior from this direction. The city being situated upon a slope from 
you, none of the principal objects of interest, as the Church of the Holy 
Sepulchre and the Mosque of Omar, are visible here ; but you see the battle- 
ment ed walls and the large tower of Hippicus. The hills around are higher 
than those upon which Jerusalem stands : 1 the mountains are round about 
Jerusalem.' (Psalm cxxv. 2.) These are destitute of trees, and barren, except 
in strips of green between the rocks. There are deep valleys in all directions, 
and in these the land is more fertile. 

Most travellers have been disappointed in their first impressions of Jeru- 
salem, and we were not to be an exception. How did Jerusalem impress us ? 
how did its sacred places appear ? and what have we seen to recall the history 
of the Bible ? I must confess that in many things we were disappointed. 
The approach to the city is by no means imposing. But there was one circum- 
stance that filled me with astonishment, and I may almost say with melancholy. 



64 



SILENCE AND SOLITUDE. 



I mean the absolute silence and desertion that lay about the city, as if she had 
been bereft of her inhabitants and abandoned to solitude. Not a liying crea- 
ture was to be seen in any direction. Animal life seemed almost extinct. 
Not a sound was heard. Not a bird was seen in the air. There was no distant 
roar like that which usually proceeds from the heart of a great city ; no noise 
of carriages passing to and fro in her streets. Like a cemetery rather than a 
living city, she sits amid the dead silence widowed and solitary ! 

"We approached, with our own feelings subdued by this mysterious and 
awful stillness, and had it not been for the single human being that sat by the 
way-side, waiting for travellers like ourselves, that he might conduct us to some 
hostel, we might have appeared, and even imagined ourselves to be a caravan 
of mourners drawing nigh to some city of the dead. How singular, to behold 
battlements, walls, and towers before you, where not even the hum of life 
disturbs the stagnant air ! 

The mystery is explained by our approaching soon after the noonday 
repose, and still more by the fact that this is the most rocky and barren part of 
the environs of the city, and therefore the inhabitants choose to extend their 
walks in some other direction. The people in the Bast are fond of leaving 
their homes and their towns, and passing the afternoon in the country, or 
under the olive-trees and among the vineyards ; and had we approached 
Jerusalem from any other quarter, we should doubtless have seen more evi- 
dences of a populous place. As it was, we entered the city by the Jaffa gate, 
under a singular train of reflections which solitude in such a place could not 
fail to awaken. 



lournai rf ten baga* xulhnn in ferasalem. 

1 Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem !' (Psalm cxxii. 2.) 
Such had been our earnest desire, and now it was mere hope no longer ! Our 



ASPECT OF JERUSALEM. 



65 



aspirations were realized, and the great object of all our toil and travel was 
now attained. 

As a preparation for what I wish to say of Passion Week and the sacred 
places, I must give you some account of the general aspect of the city, and of 
what we were enabled to accomplish during each day of our brief, too brief 
sojourn in this place of interesting localities. We had arrived on the afternoon 
of Holy Thursday. There is nothing picturesque or majestic in the appear- 
ance of Jerusalem. It was only the thought that this was indeed the chosen 
city of God, the appointed spot where infinitely the most important events 
that the world has known took place ; Jerusalem, once ' the joy of the whole 
earth,' and perhaps one day to become so again ; — it was such reflections only 
that could give its appearance any peculiar interest. We entered about four 
o'clock, and ascending a slight elevation were upon Mount Zion ! Leaving 
the new English church, which is on this Mount, upon our right, we descended 
a succession of steep streets where the horses could hardly keep their footing. 
These narrow streets, with their wretched, mean-looking houses, and the intoler- 
able filth, were sufficient to do away with all the anticipations which we had 
formed, although these had been kept in check by the accounts of previous 
visitors. Jerusalem is now a degraded, and in some respects, a disgusting city. 
Still, though no longer the favored city of the Lord, there are places in it 
which can yet be identified, and historical and sacred associations connected 
with it which impart an interest to the Christian such as no other place ever 
can possess. 

We dismounted in a wet and dirty narrow court. Thus far all had been 
disagreeable in the highest degree. The streets were worse regulated and far 
more filthy than any we had ever seen, and the houses externally were miser = 
able enough. But when we got inside, and up a flight of stone steps, we 
found quite comfortable accommodations. The houses are flat-roofed or ter- 
raced, and are covered with small oven-shaped domes. These, with a slight 
inclination in the roof, answer the purpose of more effectually turning off 
the rain. 

It was the anniversary of the evening when our blessed Lord celebrated 

9 



66 



GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE. 



the paschal supper, and endured His agony in the garden of Gethsemane ! 
We would have visited both the places which tradition has for ages marked 
out for these sacred events. We had time only for one. We therefore went 
to Grethsemane. We should have preferred visiting it in the evening, but as 
the gates of the city were closed at an early hour we could not accomplish 
our purpose. It will serve to manifest the feelings which occupied our minds, 
when I state that after our long and wearisome day's journey from a very early 
hour in the morning, we could not wait for any refreshment, but procured a 
guide, and set forth immediately upon our first pilgrimage to the sacred locali- 
ties of Jerusalem. We went down to the gate which faces the Mount of Olives. 
This is sometimes called St. Mary's Gate, because it leads to the tomb of the 
Blessed Virgin ; but more frequently the gate of St. Stephen, because that 
martyr was stoned in its neighborhood. The place is still pointed out to which 
the holy man was taken, when 'they cast him out of the city, and stoned 
Stephen calling upon God,' and also that where Saul, who ' was consenting to 
his death,' kept the loose garments of the executioners. We went outside of 
the gate. Here the Mount of Olives lay in full view before us, and we looked 
down into the valley of the brook Kedron, which Jesus crossed when he went to 
Gethsemane : ' He went forth with his disciples over the brook Kedron, where 
was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples.' (John xviii. 1.) The 
garden therefore lies on the opposite side of Kedron, or rather the ancient bed 
of this brook, for water very rarely, if ever, flows over it now. The road is 
rough and rocky, and rapidly descends into the deep valley of Jehoshaphat. 
The Mount of Olives rises abruptly on the opposite side. At the foot of this 
Mount, where there is a little level land, lies the garden. It is in fact almost a 
part of the base of the hill ; and therefore, while two of the evangelists have 
told us that the place was called Gethsemane, and St. John has said simply it 
was a garden whither ( Jesus ofttimes resorted ;' St. Luke informs us that 
He ' went, as He was wont, to the Mount of Olives.' Whatever doubt may 
attach to many other spots to which tradition has assigned remarkable events, 
there certainly can be no hesitation here. The garden itself we could not enter 
at this hour, as it is inclosed, and the keeper was at the Latin convent. The 



THE AGED OLIVE TREES. 



67 



ground belongs to the Convent of the Fathers of the Holy Land, and in order 
to preserve the few remaining trees which pilgrims and other persons were fast 
destroying, by taking away portions year after year, they had built around it 
a substantial stone wall. The inclosure is about one hundred paces square, and 
contains eight olive trees, remarkable for their size and obvious antiquity. 
From our position on a hill, we could look directly down upon this garden, 
and see the whole space and every tree within it. It may be easy for the 
cold skeptic to ask how can you tell that this was the actual spot, and how can 
you believe that these trees existed in the days of Jesus of Nazareth? Is 
there a tree of such antiquity, and if so, have we not an authentic account that 
all the trees around the city were cut down at the siege by the order of Titus ? 
In reply to this, it is known that the olive is a tree of remarkable longevity, 
and will last, it is said, even more than two thousand years. Its growth is so 
slow that it has given rise to the proverb, "No man who has planted an olive 
has ever tasted the fruit." And as to the order given by Titus, it is well 
known that such orders are not literally obeyed, and the position of Geth- 
semane, in the valley and at the foot of the hill, was such that the trees there 
could not interfere with military operations. Or if the trees were actually 
cut down, the roots would remain, and from them the present venerable trees 
may have sprung. They certainly have the appearance of greater age than 
any trees that I remember to have seen. 

If the city, in some respects had disappointed us, there was much satisfac- 
tion in beholding Grethsemane ; for there could be no doubt that our Lord, 
in the days of His flesh, had looked many times upon the place which we now 
saw, and that he had often walked over parts of this garden. 

In regard to sacred sites, where there is so much of certainty, the eloquent 
description of a distinguished pilgrim will find an echo in every pious heart. 
■ I observed behind me about an acre of land, touching on one side the elevated 
bank of the torrent of Kedron, and on the other, rising gently to the base of 
the Mount of Olives. A low wall of stones, without cement, surrounds this 
field, and eight olive trees, standing at about twenty or thirty paces distance 
from each other, nearly cover it with their shade. These olive trees are 



68 



THOUGHTS IN THE GAKDEN. 



amongst the largest of their species I have ever seen ; tradition makes their 
age mount to the era of the incarnate Grod, who is said to have chosen them 
to conceal His divine agonies. Their appearance might, if necessary, confirm 
the tradition which venerates them ; their immense roots, as the growth of 
ages, have lifted up the earth and stones which covered them, and rising many 
feet above the surface of the soil, offer to the pilgrim natural benches, upon 
which he may kneel, or sit down, to collect the holy thoughts which descend 
from their silent heads. A trunk, knotted, channeled, hollowed, as with the 
deep wrinkles of age, rises like a large pillar over these groups of roots ; and 
as if overwhelmed and bowed down by the weight of its days, it inclines to the 
right or left, leaving in a pendant position its large interlaced, but once hori- 
zontal branches, which the axe has a hundred times shortened to restore their 
youth. These old and weighty branches bending over the trunk bear other 
younger ones, which rose a little towards the sky, and had produced a few 
shoots, one or two years old, crowned by bunches of leaves, and darkened by 
little blue olives, which fall like celestial relics at the feet of the Christian 
traveller. I separated from the caravan, which had tarried round the tomb of 
the Yirgin, and seated myself for a moment on the roots of the most solitary 
and oldest of these olive trees ; its foliage hid the walls of Jerusalem from me, 
and its large trunk screened me from the observation of some shepherds, who 
were tending black sheep on the brow of the Mount of Olives. 

" I had nothing within sight but the deep and rugged ravine of Kedron, and 
the tops of other olive trees, which, from this spot, cover the extent of the 
Yalley of Jehoshaphat. No noise arose from the dry bed of the torrent ; no 
leaf trembled on the tree ; I closed my eyes for a moment, and reverted in 
thought to that night, the eve of the redemption of the human race, when the 
Divine Messenger drank to the dregs the chalice of agony, before meeting His 
death at the hands of man as the reward of His celestial message. I inquired 
of my heart what part I had in the salvation He came to purchase for the world 
at so heavy a price ; I represented to myself the extremity of anguish which 
must have rent the bosom of the Son of Man when he contemplated at a 
single glance all the misery, the darkness, the bitterness, the vanity, the 



THE AGONY IN GETHSEMANE. 



69 



iniquities of the lot of man ; when it was His will, alone, to lift the burden 
of the crimes and misfortunes under which human nature, bowed down and 
groaning, passes through this valley of tears ; when He perceived that even a 
new consolation, and truth itself, could not be brought to man but at the price 
of His life ; when drawing back in terror before the shadow of death, which 
He already felt upon Him, He said to His Father, 'Let this cup pass from me !' 
and I, feeble, ignorant, miserable man, I also may cry at the foot of the same 
tree, Lord, may my cup of bitterness pass from me, may it be poured by Thee 
into the chalice already drunk for us ! He had strength to drink it to the 
dregs ; He knew Thee ; He had seen Thee ; He knew wherefore He was about 
to drink it ; He knew the immortal life which awaited Him beyond His tomb 
of three days ; but I, Lord, what do I know, except the sufferings which rend 
my heart, and the hopes which they have taught me ? 

" I arose and admired the divine predestination of this spot, for the most 
mournful scene of the Saviour's passion. It was a deep and narrow valley ; 
inclosed on the north by dark and barren heights, which contained the sepul- 
chres of kings ; shaded on the west by the heavy and gigantic walls of a city 
of iniquities ; covered at the east by the siunmit of the Mount of Olives, and 
crossed by a torrent which rolled its bitter and yellow waves over the broken 
rocks of the Yalley of Jehoshaphat. At some paces' distance a black and bare 
rock detaches itself like a promontory from the base of the mountain, and, 
suspended over Kedron and the valley, bears several old tombs of kings and 
patriarchs, formed in gigantic and singular architecture, and strides like the 
bridge of death over the valley of lamentations. 

" At that period, no doubt, the sloping sides of the Mount of Olives, now 
nearly bare, were watered by brooks from the pools, and by the still running 
stream of Kedron. Gardens of pomegranates, oranges, and olives, covered 
with a thicker shade the Yalley of Gethsemane, which delves like a sanctuary 
of grief into the narrowest and darkest depths of the Yalley of Jehoshaphat. 
The man despised and rejected, the man of sorrows, might here hide Himself 
like a criminal amongst the roots of trees and the rocks of the torrent, under 
the triple shadow of the city, the mountain, and the night ; He might hear 



70 



GOOD FKIDAY. 



from hence the secret steps of His mother and His disciples as they passed 
by, seeking their Son and their Master ; the confused noise, the stupid acclama- 
tions of the city rising around Him to rejoice in having vanquished truth and 
expelled justice ; and the moans of Kedron rolling its waters under His feet, 
soon destined to behold its city overthrown, and its sources broken up in the 
ruin of a blind and guilty nation. Could Christ have chosen a more suitable 
spot for His tears ? could He water with the sweat of His blood a soil more 
furrowed by miseries, more saturated by griefs, more impregnated with 
lamentations ?" * 

As the gates of the city are closed at sunset, we now returned, and on our 
way passed through a portion of the street called the Yia Dolorosa, or the 
' Way of Sorrow ;' because this was the way which our Lord passed along from 
Pilate's house to Calvary. The places where the. Judgment Hall and the house 
of the Roman Governor stood were pointed out to us, and the spot whence 
the Santa Scala, now at Eome, was taken by the empress Helena. After 
spending as much time as we could before dark in contemplating these places, 
we found ourselves so fatigued by our long journey of the morning and our 
evening walk that we retired early to rest, that we might be better prepared 
for the solemn services of the next day ; for it was the eve of Good Friday. 

Good Friday. — £ And the servants and officers stood there who had made 
a fire of coals, for it was cold ; and they warmed themselves.' (John xviii. 
18.) All the evangelists have mentioned the fire which was kindled on account 
of the cold at the time of our Saviour's trial ; and this agrees with the climate 
which we find at the same season in Jerusalem ; though it is well known that 
it is colder here than the latitude would seem to warrant, and that the tempera- 
ture is usually higher than in ancient times. But the preceding winter had 
been very cold, and there had been two falls of snow, one of them more than 
six inches deep, and lying upon the flat roofs it had caused most of them to 
leak. • The thick capotes which we wore yesterday to shed the rain, and the 
substantial bedclothes last night were by no means uncomfortable. The streets 



* Lamartine's Pilgrimage to the Holy Land. 



THE ENGLISH OHUECH. 



11 



are muddy and wet, and nothing can be more disagreeable than the narrow 
ways and lanes of Jerusalem. 

Our first privilege was one denied to travellers a few years ago, viz. to 
attend the services of the church, in ' our own tongue wherein we were born.' 
We went accordingly to the church which has been recently erected on Mount 
Zion, upon some of the highest ground in the city. We made our way up to 
it through the narrow, dirty streets, in some places so steep that they are 
ascended by paved steps. The church is a neat Grothic edifice. The interior is 
built in the form of a cross, with two small transepts ; but under the same roof 
is a house for the residence of the British Consul. This arrangement was 
necessary, because the firman from the Sultan, which authorized its completion, 
required that the church should be within the limits assigned to the consulate. 
Its dimensions are about sixty feet by thirty, and it will seat about three hun- 
dred persons. It was commenced by the English " Society for the Conversion 
of the Jews," and finished by aid of the subscriptions of a lady of Chel- 
tenham, who gave £3000 for that purpose, besides endowing the church. It 
was begun by the permission of Mehemet Ali, but after the English had 
driven the Egyptians out of Syria, and restored Jerusalem to the Turks, they 
were rewarded by an absolute prohibition to build the church. After several 
years the Rev. Mr. Nicolayson succeeded in obtaining the necessary firman 
from the Sultan, and the building of the church was completed. It was neces- 
sary to remove a vast quantity of accumulated rubbish before the foundations 
could be laid upon the rock of Mount Zion ; and this could not be accomplished 
until the builders had penetrated to the depth of forty feet below the modern 
surface. Remains of masonry and a subterranean passage were found, the 
latter, it is said, leading to Mount Moriah. 

There was a respectable congregation, composed of travellers, of whom 
eight or ten were Englishmen, and the families of the British Consul and the 
clergy, together with thirty or forty persons, who appeared to be converted 
Jews. The service was read by the Rev, Mr. Nicolayson and Mr. Ewald, and 
the sermon preached by Bishop Grobat, from Luke xxiii. 46. He is the second 
bishop upon this foundation, and according to the arrangement between 



72 



WAILING PLACE OF THE JEWS. 



England and the King of Prussia, was nominated by the latter ; England 
having named the first. It is now a principal branch of the Church of 
England Mission to the Jews, and large sums of money have been expended 
upon it. It is kept up amidst many difficulties, and has to contend with great 
opposition, not only in Jerusalem, but in England and Prussia. Many doubts 
have been expressed as to the correctness of the principle on which it is 
founded ; and great care has to be exercised lest the converts should renounce 
J udaism, and embrace Christianity through merely interested motives. But to 
us it was a great privilege to worship here on this day, and we naturally gave 
more than ordinary attention to the second lesson and the gospel, being within so 
short a distance of the actual places where the affecting events therein recorded 
transpired. 

A visit to the Wailing Place of the Jews occupied a part of the day. It is 
a portion of the wall supporting the great level platform on Mount Moriah, 
where the Mosque of Omar now stands, but where the temple once stood. 
In the wall where it rises from a deep valley, and at the very foundation, are 
seen several immense blocks of stone laid in courses. They are very different 
in size and appearance from the rest of the wall, which is high, extensive, and 
comparatively modern. These stones are supposed to be a part of the founda- 
tion which was raised from the valley to the level of the hill on which 
Solomon's temple was built, and to have remained just as they were placed in 
his day. Their immense size and appearance would lead to the conclusion that 
if they have not always been, since the building of the temple, in their present 
position, they are probably a part of the stones of the foundation. The Jews 
have the greatest possible veneration for them, believing them to be the only 
remains of their temple. They go there every Friday afternoon, and taking 
off their shoes, they stand facing the stones, kiss them frequently, repeat the 
penitential Psalms of David, confess their sins, wail over the fallen condition 
of their nation, and pray for the restoration of Jerusalem. This is a custom 
which extends back very many centuries, how far from the destruction of the 
temple under Titus is not known ; but after that event the Jews rebelled again, 
and in the second century the emperor Adrian ordered all that Titus had left 



THE VfEEPEN T G OF THE OLD MEN. 



73 



to be destroyed, and that no Jew should be permitted to come near Jerusalem. 
Its name was changed, and it was many years before they were permitted even 
to look at Jerusalem from the adjacent hills. At last they were suffered to 
make an annual visit and bewail their sad estate. But, says St. Jerome, 
" they bought with a price permission to weep over the ruins of their city ; 
so that those who once purchased the blood of Christ, now bought their own 
tears." On the anniversary of the day when the Romans had overthrown 
Jerusalem, the Roman soldier demanded money of the weeping Jews before he 
would grant them permission to wait still longer and weep ! 

In former times, and perhaps occasionally now, a loud wailing or lamenta- 
tion was set up. We heard nothing of this however. There was quite a 
number, at least thirty, going through the accustomed ceremonies of the place, 
each reading to himself in an undertone, constantly swaying the body to and 
fro, or from side to side : some leaning with their foreheads upon a projection 
of the stones, and bent down as if in sorrow. Many appeared quite careless 
and indifferent, as though performing a mechanical ceremony ; but a few old 
men seemed to be deeply impressed with the service in which they were en- 
gaged. It was deeply affecting to see below us Jews of all ages, some of them 
very old. Hebrews of the Hebrews out of all nations, well versed in the law, 
who had come hither to die in the land of their fathers. In the posture of 
lamentation, with low and plaintive voice, they were spending the remnant of 
their days in weeping over their departed glory. It reminded us of that touch- 
ing history, ; But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who 
were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this 
house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice.' (Ezra hi. 12.) Their 
Bibles were open at the Psalms, and their complaint might be, ' Lord God of 
hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people ? Thou 
feedest them with the bread of tears ; and givest them tears to drink in great 
measure. Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbors : and our enemies laugh 
among themselves 1 (Psalm lxxx. 4, 5, 6) : and their prayer, ' Return, we be- 
seech thee. God of hosts : look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this 
vine ' (ver. 14). How gladly would we utter the words of the prophecy, which, 

10 



74 



BAPTISM OF CONVEETED JEWS. 



perhaps, even now is awaiting its fulfilment, ' Speak ye comfortably to Jerusa- 
lem, and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is par- 
doned.' (Isaiah xl. 2.) 

Upon the anniversary of the day when their forefathers crucified the Lord 
of glory, and said, ' His blood be on us and on our children/ it was most 
striking to see a few of this despised and scattered race, here, in the city of their 
former glory, and before the remains of their once magnificent temple, thus 
giving evidence of the fulfilment of prophecy, and showing how the curse, im- 
precated so many ages before, was still discharging its vengeance upon them. 

From this sad scene we went again to the English chapel, and there beheld 
a ceremony well suited to awaken a very different train of reflections ; for we 
saw three converted Jews baptized into the Christian Faith. Here, again, was a 
remarkable coincidence ; for this mission may be instrumental in bringing about 
a restoration of the lost sheep of the House of Israel : and when generally they 
turn to the Lord, and acknowledge Him as Messiah, they shall not wail, as 
now, before the few remains of their ruined temple, but restored to their city, 
and gaining possession of the site of their temple, they may there worship Him 
whom they now deny. Surely this is a Good Friday, that we may well long 
remember ! 

THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE. 

After the morning service we went to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. 
The church itself stands in a prominent position, and its lofty cupola may be 
seen from every eminence in and around Jerusalem ; but the approach to it is 
through narrow streets, and in one place through a low-arched doorway, where 
two persons can with difiiculty pass each other. It is built upon the supposed 
site of Calvary, and covers a very considerable space ; for it is rather an assem- 
blage of churches and chapels than one church. The Latins and the Greeks, as 
well as the various branches of the Eastern Church, the Armenians, Abyssi- 
nians, Jacobites, Copts, Georgians and Maronites, have distinct portions, with 
the exclusive privilege of celebrating in them their own rites, though the whole 



CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE. 



75 



is free to the access of all. The church is under the control of the Turkish 
authorities, and the times of admission are regulated by them. We found it 
closed and the keys deposited with the Turkish officers, on account of the fre- 
quent, shameful, and sometimes bloody conflicts between the pilgrims of the 
Greek and Latin Church. It is no wonder that the Mohammedans look with 
contempt and scorn upon these degraded, professed Christians, who sometimes 
come to blows upon the very spot where they believe that the Founder of that 
religion which should unite all men in one great brotherhood of peace and love, 
died for their sins and the sins of the world. Were it not for the necessity, 
it might almost excite our indignation to see, whenever the church is open, a 
Turkish guard at the door, for the purpose of enforcing order and to collect a 
tribute from all who enter. On public occasions, when a great crowd is expected, 
a body of armed Mussulman soldiers is introduced into the church. However 
astonishing and sad it may appear, this is by no means a useless precaution ; for 
the conduct of the members of the different communions has often been dis- 
graceful in the highest degree. Even upon these sacred sites, the holiest spots 
on earth in their estimation, and which they have travelled so great a distance, 
endured so much hardship, and braved so many perils to behold, they can forget 
themselves so far as to engage in sanguinary contests, till the Turkish authori- 
ties have been obliged to interpose and separate the combatants. These terrible 
scenes occur more especially at Easter, and on the repetition of the shameful 
imposture of the Greek "holy fire," against which the venerable Coray so 
forcibly and affectionately warned the more superstitious among his deluded 
countrymen. In 1834 the excitement of the crowd and their holy fury were so 
great that hundreds were trampled upon and killed, and their dead bodies drawn 
out into the court, while Ibrahim Pasha himself was looking on. 

As we were not present to witness, with our own eyes, scenes so disgraceful, 
I will call your attention to the graphic, but sad account given us by Elliott. 
He says, "Our visits to the Church of the Sepulchre were frequent, as we 
happened to be present in Jerusalem during the £ holy week ' of both the Latins 
and the Greeks, one of which immediately followed the other. Once in three 
years they occur together ; the second year they succeed each other, as on this 



76 



SAD SCENES AT EASTEE. 



occasion ; and the third, an interval of seven days elapses between the termina- 
tion of the one and the commencement of the other. It is when both parties 
require access to the tomb at the same, or nearly the same time, that the most 
disgraceful scenes are witnessed. The church is then crowded to excess by 
pilgrims, all anxious to obtain the best places, and scuffling for them without 
shame or awe ; so that children, women, and even men, are often killed. But 
accidents constitute the least melancholy part of the drama. With or without 
provocation, the opposite parties, animated by religious hate, and impelled by 
their priests, proceed to blows ; the hallowed shrine is stained with the blood of 
murderers and the murdered ; and Turkish soldiers are forced to interfere, and 
drag violently from the fray Christian combatants; nay, Christian priests, 
wielding their bludgeons over the sepulchre of the Prince of Peace ! Could 
any thing rival the horror of such a scene, it would be that inspired by the 
conduct of the Turks themselves. Accustomed to regard Christians as dogs, 
and to detest them as idolaters ; too long habituated to the riots and murders of 
the Church of the Holy Sepulchre ; and justly considering the pilgrims and 
priests who figure there as among the most foolish and degraded of their race, 
the indignities they inflict on them know no bounds. If a Turk of rank, or a 
Frank gentleman wish to pass through the crowd, a Jcowass will precede him 
with a stick, dealing his blows right and left with a mercilessness that makes 
the beholder shudder ; and the hierarchy at the very altar crouch and bleed 
under the strokes of the infidel." 

The church, or rather the combination of chapels, the Greek convent with 
very extensive buildings for the accommodation of the pilgrims, who only dwell 
there for the season, providing their own food, and also the Latin convent, with 
many dwellings of the Christian population, are gathered as closely as possible 
around this venerated site. The original church was erected by the piety and 
munificence of the empress Helena, and the mother of Constantine spared no 
pains nor cost in the holy structure. The place is still pointed out within the 
church, where she sat when the true cross is said to have been discovered, and 
a commemorative chapel erected over the spot. It was burned by the Persians 
in the year 614 ; but as the tomb in the rock could not be injured, the reputed 



AKCHITECTUKE OF THE CHURCH. 



11 



sanctity of the place remained, and received the reverence of the Christians of 
those times. They restored it within fourteen years, under the Emperor 
Heraclius, and when the Mohammedans obtained possession of Jerusalem, they 
reverenced and protected the sacred edifice. It continued safe for 370 years, 
when it was attacked with fanatical fury by Hakem, the caliph. It was after- 
wards restored, and thus continued until it was entirely destroyed by fire in 
1808. But the zeal of modern Christians has again rebuilt it with its former 
grandeur, and, as far as possible, on the ancient model ; or at least, in the same 
shape which had been venerated during so many ages. 

"The church, especially in its exterior," says Lamartine, "forms a vast and 
beautiful monument of the Byzantine age ; its architecture is severe, solemn, 
grand, and rich, for the period in which it was built ; and it is a temple worthy 
of being erected, by the piety of man, over the tomb of the Son of Man. In 
comparing this church with others which the same epoch produced, it will be 
found superior to them all. St. Sophia, much more colossal, is also much ruder 
in its structure ; outwardly it is but a mountain of stone, flanked by little hills 
of stone : the Holy Sepulchre, on the contrary, presents an aerial and carved 
cupola; its scientific and graceful figure, with its doors, its windows, its 
capitals, and its cornices, displays, in addition to its massiveness, the incalculable 
cost of that ingenious fretwork, by which stone seems converted into lace, 
to render it worthy of a place in this monument erected to the grandest of 
human conceptions ; and it bears impressed, no less on its details than on its 
aggregate effect, the idea to which it is dedicated. It is no longer, indeed, that 
Church of the Holy Sepulchre constructed by St. Helena, the mother of Con- 
stantine; the Kings of Jerusalem, successively, retouched it, and embellished it 
with architectural ornaments in that half western, half Moorish style, of which 
the East furnished them both with the taste and with models. But such as it 
now stands, the exterior, in its Byzantine mass, its Greek, Gothic, and Arabesque 
decorations — even its fractures, the impress of time and barbarism upon its front 
— offers no revolting contrast to the thoughts we bring to it, the thoughts it 
expresses : its aspect excites no painful perception of a grand idea inadequately 
represented ; of an exalting reminiscence profaned by the hand of man : on the 



78 



MODERN TRADITIONS. 



contrary, the involuntary feeling inspired by it equals what I had expected — 
man has done his best. The monument is not worthy of the tomb, but it is 
worthy of the human agents, whose wish has been to do honor to this illustrious 
sepulchre — and we enter the vaulted and sombre vestibule of the nave under 
the influence of this first and serious impression." 

Several of the localities mentioned in the history of our Lord's Passion are, 
in a remarkable manner, brought all within a narrow space, so as to be covered 
by one roof, or rather an assemblage of roofs. But this is not all. Many 
places are pointed out, the creations of modern tradition, and therefore they 
are not only unworthy of credit, but they interfere seriously with the devout 
feelings which every Christian would wish to cherish, when he knows that he 
cannot be far from the spot where the Lord was crucified for us, where he was 
buried, and where he rose triumphant from the grave. Such as these are the 
large block of marble, surrounded by candlesticks and lamps, which stands im- 
mediately before you, on entering the vestibule. You are told that the body of 
our Lord was laid upon this " stone of unction," to be anointed for the burial. 
At a short distance, to the right, the place is pointed out where the nailing to 
the cross took place before it was elevated ; and just behind this is the chapel 
of the sacrifice of Isaac, or the spot where the faith of Abraham was so severely 
tried, and behind that again is the chapel of the altar of Melchizedek ! Places 
that are not mentioned in Scripture are here found, as the prison of our Lord ; 
and there is even a chapel of the division of the garments ! Separate localities 
are shown you as the very spots where Mary Magdalene stood, when our Lord 
appeared to her, and where the Virgin Mary and St. John stood during the 
crucifixion. Then there is the 'Pillar of Flagellation,' the 'stone where the 
angel sat,' and the 'centre of the world.' All this has the effect of lessening 
the interest we should take in looking at the more probable sites of the cruci- 
fixion itself, and of the Holy Sepulchre ; for these may have been near to each 
other ; or if the words of St. John, ' in the place where he was crucified there 
was a garden ; and in the garden a new sepulchre,' are not to be understood 
so literally, we may well believe that we are. near the place either of the 
crucifixion, or of the burial. At least, while the controversy is so warmly 



THE SACRED LOCALITIES. 



79 



maintained on both sides, as it has been of late by Dr. Eobinson in his " Biblical 
Kesearches" against, and by Mr. Williams in his "Holy City" in favor of the 
present site, we may be excused for yielding to the voice of the universal and 
constant tradition since the earliest ages. Those who are in the habit of 
doubting, and almost denying, every tradition, may be expected to do so here ; 
but as there must have been some place where these stupendous events occurred, 
we shall be content with believing in this until the skeptics show us another, 
which they have not yet attempted to do. The fact that Adrian endeavored to 
desecrate this place, and obliterate the memory of the cross by building a Pagan 
temple here in the second century, is proof that the tradition goes back to the 
earliest age ; and Adrian's unbelief pointed out the sure place for the exercise 
of Helena's faith. At present, therefore, I prefer to believe in the old traditions 
until I see some better reasons for discarding them, than the modern traveller's 
measurements and opinions. As to Calvary, although I may not believe that 
the hole in which the cross was placed has remained to this time, or could have 
been identified by the Empress Helena so many ages after the crucifixion, yet 
I see at present no sufficient reason to doubt as to the general locality. The 
universal tradition has more weight with me than modern measurements, and 
still more fallacious arguments. And to this conclusion of the understanding 
my heart gladly assents, and pours out its feelings upon the spot where the re- 
demption of man was accomplished. I cannot afford to come to the Holy Land 
for the sake of doubting. There is enough of that at home. I prefer to believe. 

The rent in the rock is remarkable, and has evidently been produced by 
some convulsion of nature, and not by art. This is a very singular feature, and 
its contemplation fills the mind with awe. It is not accounted for in any other 
way except that mentioned in the Scriptures. Although nothing is seen, 
at the present day, of the tomb hewn in the rock, yet the Sepulchre may have 
been upon the spot designated, and now covered with the small chapel, over 
which the church is built. Henry Maundrell, in his journey from Aleppo to 
Jerusalem in 1697, has a very striking passage upon this subject, and one that 
may explain several difficulties : " In order to the fitting of this hill for the 
foundation of a church, the first founders were obliged to reduce it to a plain 



80 



A PKOCESSION. 



area, which, they did by cutting down several parts of the rock, and by elevating 
others ; but, in this work, care was taken that none of those parts of the hill, 
which were reckoned to be more immediately concerned in our blessed Lord's 
passion, should be altered or diminished. Thus, that very part of Calvary 
where they say Christ was fastened to, and lifted upon, his cross, is left entire, 
being about ten or twelve yards square, and standing, at this day, so high above 
the common floor of the church, that you have twenty-one steps or stairs to go 
up to its top ; and the holy sepulchre itself, which was at first a cave hewn into 
the rock under ground, having had the rock cut away from it all round, is now, 
as it were, a grotto above ground." 

The remarks of the same honest traveller are so much to the purpose in 
reference to the changes which the walls, and position of parts of Jerusalem 
itself, have probably undergone, that I shall add them here ; as the principal 
doubts turn upon the point that the crucifixion took place without the walls. 
Calvary "was anciently appropriated to the execution of malefactors, and there- 
fore shut out of the walls of the city as an execrable and polluted place ; but 
since it was made the altar on which was offered up the precious and all-sufficient 
sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, it has recovered itself from that infamy, 
and has been always reverenced and resorted to with such devotion by all 
Christians, that it has attracted the city round about it, and stands now in the 
midst of Jerusalem, a great part of the hill of Sion being shut out of the walls 
to make room for the admission of Calvary." 

On visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulchre again, in the evening, we 
found it filled with a crowd of pilgrims, and witnessed a succession of ceremo- 
nies, which I shall briefly describe without much comment. The crowd of 
spectators were looking upon the Latin Patriarch, and a procession of monks 
carrying a cross and a figure of our Lord, of almost life-like size. The first 
station was by the stone Pillar of Flagellation. A large piece of this relic, 
unknown to the Scriptures and to early Christianity, is kept in a cell, not far 
from the spot where Mary Magdalene stood and where our Lord appeared to 
her, or the Chapel of the Apparition. The fact that two other pieces, preserved, 
one at Eome, and the other in the church near the Greek Patriarch's house at 



SINGULAR CEREMONIES. 81 

Constantinople, are of a different mineralogical character, does not prevent the 
pilgrim from touching this with the end of his staff, and devoutly kissing that 
part which has come in contact with the holy stone. Here they sung a hymn, 
and a sermon was held in Spanish, upon the scourging of the Lord. They next 
proceeded, in priestly array, to the Prison of our Lord, or the place where He 
was incarcerated while the preparations were made for the crucifixion. This is 
also a circumstance upon which the New Testament is silent. After the custo- 
mary singing, a French sermon was preached in this place. The same ceremo- 
nies, with a sermon at each, took place at the altar and the chapel of the 
Division of the Garments. The procession then ascended the steps, and went 
first into the chapel where our Saviour is said to have been nailed to the cross. 
Here they placed the large cross upon the floor, and performed the ceremony 
of affixing the image to the cross. Then followed another hymn and another 
sermon. The crucifix was next taken to the adjoining chapel or Mount Calvary, 
and set up in a hole in the rock. Hymn and sermon. Two friars, representing 
Joseph of Arimathea and Mcodemus, now approach the cross, and with an air 
of great solemnity and sorrow, draw out the nails and take down the figure from 
the cross. As it is a flexible image, the two men who acted the part of mourn* 
ers, composed the limbs, bending the arms and arranging them in the usual 
manner, and then laid it in a winding sheet and carried it to the stone of unction, 
followed by the procession. Upon this stone the figure was laid and odors and 
spices thrown over it. After another sermon it was placed in the Holy Sepul- 
chre, and here, at least for the present, the performance ended. How much 
soever such scenes may annoy us, they cannot altogether destroy the associations 
of the locality, nor detract from the sublimity of the real events. We cannot 
forget that we stand upon, or near the spot where the greatest problem that had 
hitherto troubled the world was solved for ever. During the long night of four 
thousand years, the nations, 'sitting in darkness,' had vainly endeavored to 
discover whether 'the shadow of death' was eternal. Here the veil was 
lifted : man had share in the secrets which lie beyond the tomb. After the 
Lord of Life had been three days subject to death, He came forth here trium- 
phant, the first-born of His own glorious revelation and purchase — Immortality. 

XI 



82 



JEKUSALEM, BETHANY, AND THE MOUNT OF OLIVES. 



Saturday, April 7th. — We rode out at St. Stephen's Gate, and again passing 
the spot where the first Christian martyr is said to have sealed his testimony 
with his blood, we went down into the Yalley of Jehoshaphat, crossed the brook 
Kedron, and rode along ascending the side of the Mount of Olives to Bethany. 
This village is about two miles distant from Jerusalem, or as we are told in the 
Scriptures, £ about fifteen furlongs off,' and on the road which our Lord travelled 
when he came from Jericho. Bethphage appears to have been somewhat more 
distant ; but no traces of its existence can be found at the present day. The 
hamlet of Bethany probably occupies the site of the ancient village to which 
our Lord loved to resort, the abode of Martha and Mary, and the scene of one 
of his greatest miracles. It is now a poor place, and contains only some fifteen 
or twenty families. It is, however, delightfully situated, and affords a fine view 
of the Yalley of the Jordan. The house of Mary and Martha, and the tomb 
of Lazarus, are pointed out ; for in the Holy Land every sacred event has its 
modern locality. The tomb is cut out of the rock, and is descended by twenty- 
five steps ; but as it would appear, from the account given us by St. John, that 
the grave was not in the town, we are led to suppose that either the modern 
village or the tomb may not be upon the ancient site. The latter is described 
simply as ' a cave, and a stone lay upon it.' But it was sufficient for us that we 
had gone over ground which had often been pressed by the hallowed feet of our 
blessed Lord, and that we looked upon a beautiful prospect, down one of the 
valleys, which his eyes in the flesh must have often beheld. On our return we 
crossed the summit of the Mount of Olives, and had a fine view of the Dead 
Sea. At the top of the Mount is the Church of the Ascension, built over the 
rock, in which a foot-print is shown, and which tradition assigns to the last event 
in the earthly life of our Lord, though the account by St. Luke places the 
Ascension at Bethany itself, rather than the summit of Olivet : ' And He led 
them out as far as to Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. 
And it came to pass, while He blessed them, He was parted from them and car- 
ried up into heaven.' (Luke xxiv. 50, 51.) Approaching Jerusalem, we could 
see the city from the very summit of the Mount. We could look directly down 
upon Jerusalem and upon the site of the temple, and felt the full force of the 



VIEW FROM THE MOUNT OF OLIVES. 



83 



words which He addressed to His disciples, after they had said to Him, ' Master, 
see what manner of stones and what buildings are here !' And when they 
had retired to the place which we now occupied, ' as He sat upon the Mount of 
Olives over against the temple,' He uttered that fearful prophecy of the destruc- 
tion of Jerusalem itself as well as of the temple : 1 Yerily, I say unto you, this 
generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.' (Matthew xxiv. 34.) 
What more affecting picture can be presented to the mind, than the approach 
of the divine Teacher from the humble dwelling of Martha and Mary, in the 
little village of Bethany, towards that great city of iniquities, whose riches 
and splendor were spread out indeed before His eyes, but only to be saddened 
and overclouded by the contrast with her coming and inevitable woes ! He 
stood here upon the side of the mountain, and hence embraced in one view the 
whole of Jerusalem. The site of the temple, the whole circuit of the walls, the 
direction of the streets — all can be seen from this spot where 1 He beheld the 
city and wept over it.' After he had passed the night in the Mount of Olives, 
whither He retired for meditation and prayer, this was the way that He took on 
His return to preach ' daily ' in the temple, setting a high example of retire- 
ment combined with action. Below us is the Grarden of Gethsemane, and yonder 
is the way by which, after His betrayal, He was led to the house of the high 
priest, thence for a mock trial to the hall of judgment, and then, alas ! for our 
sins, to a cruel and ignominious death upon Calvary ! The place upon which the 
temple was built is now occupied by a most prominent and most sacred object 
of Mohammedan adoration, the famous mosque of Omar, which stands upon the 
broad summit of Mount Moriah. Into this we could not enter, as the faithful 
followers of the Prophet alone are allowed within the sacred precincts ; for the 
Mussulmans have a superstition that whatever shall be asked of Allah, by any 
Christian within that holy place, will be certainly granted ; and they naturally 
imagine that Christians would pray for the overthrow of their power and reli- 
gion. We can scarcely wonder at Muslim bigotry and exclusiveness towards 
the disciples of another creed, who are infidels in their eyes, when we -see the 
same spirit exercised by Christians who should be of One Household of Faith. 
If, instead of the Turk, any one branch of the Christians that now contend for 



84 



SYNAGOGUES IN JERUSALEM. 



the Holy Sepulchre, had the exclusive dominion of Jerusalem, we fear it would 
go hard with the rest. And their superstition and credulity are scarcely less, 
and we could not restrain some signs of impatience when they pointed out to us 
the very site of the fig-tree that was cursed and withered away. 

This Saturday ; was the anniversary of the Passover, and we went, therefore, 
to the synagogues of the Jews. In that quarter of the city which is assigned to 
them, all business was suspended, and it was evident that ' that Sabbath day was 
an high day;' for as we passed along we found not only every shop, but every 
house closed, and the streets themselves silent and deserted. The men were 
seated upon benches in the synagogues, and one of them, also sitting, was 
addressing the rest in so familiar a manner, that at first we thought they were 
occupied in conversation before the service. It was, however, a sermon from a 
Eabbi ; and the posture reminded us of what we are told of our Lord, when He 
had closed the book He sat down. The people were moving about and talking 
without any restraint, and appeared to pay so little attention to the Eabbi, that it 
is no wonder the evangelist records, as a remarkable circumstance, 'And the 
eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on Him.' (Luke iv. 20.) 
The apparent want of reverence in their demeanor, and their unrestrained con- 
versation, reminded us also of the remarkable scenes recorded in the New Testa- 
ment, where the Jews in the synagogues, disputed so freely with our Lord. 
"When the roll of the law was taken up to a portion of the floor elevated above 
the rest, the people kissed it, as it was carried by them. There were only men 
upon the floor of the synagogue, as the women do not enter here, but go into a 
gallery. Most of the Jews here are Polish and Spanish. Their dwellings and 
their synagogues are upon Mount Zion. 

Going through the street of Mount Zion, and out of the Zion Gate, we were 
shown the place assigned to the house where the Lord partook of the Last 
Supper with His disciples. Near by is the " tomb of the Prophet David." The 
spot is sacred in the eyes of the Mohammedans, who have built a mosque over 
it, which Christians are not permitted to enter. The supposed site of the Palace 
of the High Priest is not far from here, whither Jesus was sent, after they who 
took Him from the Garden of Gethsemane had brought Him to Annas first, 



PASSION WEEK AND THE SACKED PLACES. 



85 



who sent Him bound to the High Priest. Here He was kept until the next day, 
when they lead Him early from Caiaphas to the hall of judgment, that He might 
appear before Pontius Pilate. There is no hesitation about showing you the 
very spot where St. Peter was questioned by the servants, and denied his 
Master, and the identical place where the cock crew ! There is now a church 
and convent of the Armenians here, and they keep, with religious care, the 
great stone which they succeeded in obtaining, many years ago, from the 
Church of the Holy Sepulchre ; and it is declared to be the stone which covered 
the mouth of the tomb. We had more satisfaction in visiting places about 
which there can be no doubt, the upper and lower pool of Grihon, made for the 
purpose of collecting the water which was conveyed hence to Jerusalem. 

Easter Day, April 8th. — On the festival of the Eesurrection of our Lord 
from the dead, I officiated in the English church by reading prayers, and 
assisting in the administration of the Holy Communion, having declined preach- 
ing. Between the morning and evening service, we walked in the Church of 
the Holy Sepulchre, meditating upon the stupendous event which more than 
eighteen hundred years ago had overcome the tyranny of death, and opened 
unto us the gate of everlasting life. 



THE HISTORY OF PASSION WEEK IN CONNECTION WITH THE 

SACRED PLACES. 

"We went up to Jerusalem with the cherished thought of celebrating the 
Holy Week in the Holy City. When, therefore, my eyes rested upon the very 
places described in the sacred history of those last days in the Lord's ministry 
below, the mind sought to associate, in the order of their occurrence, the won- 
derful events with each venerated site. Such an anniversary commemoration 
of the whole week was unhappily impossible ; yet I still feel that I can speak 
of each day in the holy season with an interest little short of that which might 
have attended the fulfilment of our first design. 

Every attentive reader of the New Testament is aware that the histories of 



86 



THE LIFE OE CHEIST. 



the Holy Evangelists grow more and more circumstantial, towards the close of 
our blessed Saviour's life on the earth. "We have, indeed, a very particular 
account of His miraculous birth, and of the remarkable attestations given, 
even then, to His divine character. But from this period, until He entered 
upon His ministry, little is known of His abiding place, and even less of His 
employments. That He was occupied, in some way, with His heavenly mission 
we cannot doubt. For when, at the age of twelve years, His virgin mother 
and Joseph found Him in the Temple with the doctors of the law, both hearing 
them • and asking them questions, He replied to their expostulations at His 
absence, ' "Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business.' From this 
time, for the space of nearly twenty years, we know nothing of the life of 
Jesus, except what is declared by the Evangelist, that ' He was subject to His 
parents,' and that ' He increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God 
and man.' During these years He dwelt at Nazareth, and it has been reason- 
ably supposed, that, following the trade of His reputed father, He labored as a 
carpenter. This, however, is mere conjecture. "Whatever is necessary for our 
instruction in Divine things, is faithfully and amply recorded. "With this it is 
the part of wisdom, as well as becoming humility, to rest satisfied. The history 
of the Saviour's advent was not written to gratify a vain curiosity, but to give 
to the Church an authentic statement of such facts and teachings as were essen- 
tial to its permanent establishment. Hence the reason why so little is related 
of our Saviour's life before He entered upon His ministry ; and why, as we 
approach the awful scene of His propitiatory sacrifice, the sacred narratives 
evince the importance of minute details. Upon this principle our Liturgical 
services have been arranged, and the thoughts and affections of the worshippers 
are in a special manner concentrated upon one day as the queen of all the year, 
the day upon which our Lord arose triumphant from the grave, and upon the 
week of memorable days that have gone before in solemn, sad procession. As 
an humble servitor at the altar, I love this order, and feel inexpressibly thank- 
ful for the privilege that has been vouchsafed to me of connecting the sacred 
history of these days of the Lord's Passion with the pathways which those 
blessed feet walked over, and the places where that Heavenly One abode. This 



PALM SUNDAY. 



87 



privilege I would now share with you, by carrying you with me in imaginary 
pilgrimage, during the Holy Week, to Bethany, Olivet, Gethsemane, and 
Calvary. I would paint before your mind's eye, with what power of description 
lean, scenes which I was favored in beholding with- the actual sight. And 
if, peradventure, this week may never have been sanctified to your thoughts 
by special devotional observances, yet its inspired history is the same to you as 
to me. As a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, you feel, in that history, as 
deep an interest as myself. Come then, believer in the Gospel, be my compa- 
nion while for eight days, the most eventful of its history, we look around 
and upon ' Zion the city of our solemnities. ' 

We begin on Sunday before the resurrection of our Lord. As the time 
of celebrating the passover of the Jews was determined by the course of the 
moon, on the same principle as that which establishes the festival of Easter, it is 
obvious that we may fix with ' a high degree of certainty, the very days when 
the chief events transpired. • The Jews in Jerusalem are now preparing for 
their great feast which, during this week, bears precisely the same relation to 
Good Friday and Easter Day, as when ' Christ our passover was sacrificed for 
us.' For some days before, our Lord had been dwelling in Ephraim with His 
disciples. This was a city north from Jerusalem, in the direction of Jericho, 
and near the wilderness of the Temptation. He went thither to escape the 
excitement produced in Jerusalem and its neighborhood by His miracles, espe- 
cially the raising of Lazarus. He wished, also, to place Himself for a time 
beyond the reach of the Chief Priests and Pharisees, who were already taking 
counsel to destroy Him, saying, . 1 What do we ? for this man doeth many 
miracles. If we let Him thus alone all men will believe on Him : and the 
Eomans shall come and take away both our place and nation.' But the passover 
being nigh at hand, and the people from all parts of Judea collecting together 
for its celebration at Jerusalem, the Saviour also, with full knowledge of His 
impending sufferings, left His seclusion, and with His twelve disciples turned 
His face towards that city, and the altar of His sacrifice. His path was over a 
rough and mountainous region, ill cultivated and little frequented. A wearisome 
walk of about six miles brought Him in view of a pleasant village, lying upon 



88 



CHEIST APPRO ACHE S JERUSALEM. 



the slope of a hill towards the East. This was His well-known and favored place 
of resort, and here was His frequent abiding place in the house of his friend 
Lazarus. Beautiful as is the site of Bethany, in the midst of fertile fields and 
surrounded by olive and fig-trees, it is now but a mean village. Its inhabitants 
are a few Turks and Arabs, and there is no longer a Lazarus or Mary to sit at 
the feet of Jesus. The ruined foundations of their former dwelling-place are 
still pointed out, and in memory of the friend of Jesus, the Turks, at this day, 
call their village Lazari. At a short distance, higher up upon the right, are 
pointed out a few miserable huts as marking the place where Bethphage stood. 
Here it was that our Lord, wearied with His walk over a mountain-road, or 
rather in view of the fulfilment of an ancient prophecy, sent two of His disciples 
to a neighboring village, ' Saying unto them, Go into the village over against 
you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her : loose them, 
and bring them unto me. And if any man say aught unto you, ye shall say, 
the Lord hath need of them ; and straightway he will send them.' The direc- 
tion having been complied with, our Lord, seated on the humble animal, and 
attended by the twelve, pursued His journey. Jerusalem, distant about two 
miles, may be reached by different roads — the one passing directly over the 
summit of the Mount of Olives, the other winding round its eastern declivity. 
Which was taken, it is impossible to decide, as by both, the pilgrim, on his way 
to the Holy City, will pass near that memorable spot where the Lord paused, 
and, as He beheld the city, wept over it, and foretold its destruction. It lies in 
full view ; and when the Lord pronounced its doom in those fearful words, ' the 
days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and 
compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,' He could follow out, in 
sad, prophetic contemplation, the whole progress of these hostile movements. 
Descending from this point, by a steep and winding pathway, amongst groves of 
olives, and fields now deformed by rocks, or fertile only in narrow, intervening 
patches, but once probably rich in verdure and divided into gardens of beauty, 
we pass by Gethsemane, cross the dry bed of the Kedron, now bridged over, 
where there was once a shallow ford, and begin the steep ascent of Mount 
Moriah. 



THE LORD'S ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM. 89 

But the noise of the great multitude which has been gradually gathering 
about our Lord since He left Bethphage, and which has swelled the small 
procession of twelve into a vast concourse of people, excited to the highest pitch 
of enthusiasm by a heaven-inspired zeal, has already reached and roused the 
guilty city. We see the line of eager faces upon the wall and parapets, and the 
crowd rushing from the open gate, fills every projecting rock with life. They 
look with astonishment upon a sight so unusual. The Mount of Olives rises up 
so straight before them and so near, that they can distinguish the persons and 
almost the features of those who are winding down the road. But it is not now 
single persons or small companies that are making their silent way towards the 
city. An eager and shouting multitude, cutting branches from the neighbor- 
ing palm-trees are strewing them and their garments upon the way over which 
some honored individual is passing. Their shouts can be distinctly heard, and 
from multitudes of voices, in united chorus, the cry is 1 Hosanna to the Son of 
David ! Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord ! Hosanna in the 
highest !' As yet they see not the object of this exalted praise, so great around 
Him is the throng of His disciples, of the blind, the lame, the sick whom He 
had healed, and of the multitude whom the fame of His miracles and the 
gracious words that proceeded out of His mouth had collected to Him. But 
nigh to the gate the ranks open, and what do they see to justify this tumult of 
zeal? Not the stately air of an earthly king or conqueror, nor his splendid 
array. ' Behold, daughter of Zion, thy king cometh unto thee, meek and 
sitting upon an ass and a colt the foal of an ass.' Well might the city be moved 
and all cry out, 'Who is this? Who is this, in appearance so unassuming, 
riding upon the humblest of animals, attended by poor fishermen of Galilee, 
and yet thousands are shouting His praise?' They hail Him Son of David, 
and exhibit joy at his coming such as David never saw when returning most 
triumphant from his enemies. To the demand of simple, honest curiosity, and 
the question of scornful priestly pride they answer alike, this is Jesus, the 
Prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. The two blind men whom he has just healed, 
press forward and say this is He who had compassion on us and touched our 
eyes, and immediately our eyes received sight. Lazarus and his sisters Martha 

12 



90 



CHEIST PUKHTES THE TEMPLE. 



and Mary proclaim Him the conqueror of death and the grave. The sick restored 
to health, the lame man leaping as an hart, the deaf, whose ears are unstopped, 
the dumb, whose tongue is loosed, all eagerly and gratefully recount the won- 
derful deliverances wrought by Him. Numbers, too, who had listened to His 
doctrine, cry out, 1 Never man spake like this man !' Once more the shout is 
renewed, till the surrounding hills, to their very foundations ring again, Hosanna 
to the Son of David ! blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord ! 
Hosanna in the highest ! 

The Prophet, Priest and King, thus heralded by heaven-taught acclamations, 
proceeds at once to the temple. Behold it there, upon that beautiful and exten- 
sive platform, where now the mosque of Omar stands ! Alas ! we cannot 
enter the sacred precincts, but at a distance we may walk around and mark 
the bounds thereof. And on the wall, facing . the Mount of Olives, is a gate- 
way through which tradition says our Lord entered the outer court of the Holy 
Temple. It is now closed up with solid masonry, through an ancient and 
prevailing superstition of the Turks, that some king, an enemy to their faith, 
may pass through it and take possession of the city. ' Can this,' it has been 
asked, 'be the gate alluded to inEzekiel?' (xliv. 1, 2, 3.) £ Then he brought 
me back by the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary, which looketh 
toward the East ; and it was shut. Then said the Lord unto me ; This gate 
shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter by it because the 
Lord, the Glod of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut. It is 
for the Prince ; the Prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the Lord ; he 
shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way 
of the same.' 

If then, through this gate the Lord entered, He found the court of the Gen- 
tiles, a portion of this wide area, filled with tables of the money-changers and 
the seats of them that sold doves. His power over the multitude was then 
unlimited, and at once He raised His arm and purified His Father's house from 
this unseemly traffic. The fame of Him had spread abroad, and the blind and 
the lame come to Him in the temple to be healed. The little children, now 
catch the enthusiasm, have learned and can shout the words Hosanna to the 



JESUS CUESES THE FIG-TEEE. 



91 



Son of David ! But amidst all this triumph the Holy Subject of it felt no 
exultation, His soul was troubled by the thought of agonies so near, the 
human nature was almost staggered ; and for a moment He doubted in His 
prayer : ' What shall I say ? Father save me from this hour ? but for this cause 
came I unto this hour : Father glorify Thy name.' Suddenly an awful sound is 
heard ; the people imagine it to be, some, the muttering thunder, some the 
voice of an angel. But to Him it speaks comfort, for it was a voice from heaven 
in answer to His prayer, ' saying I have both glorified it and will glorify it 
again.' It was now eventide ; but the Lord accepted no abiding-place for 
the night within the city's walls — He sought the repose of Bethany, and 
crossing the Kedron, before His toilsome walk over Olivet, rested for a 
while at its foot, in the garden to which ' He ofttimes resorted with His 
disciples.' 

Monday. — In the morning He early left His resting-place, and passing by 
the cave from which the dead had so recently answered to His call, 1 Lazarus 
come forth !' He ascended the rising ground behind Bethany, taking this direc- 
tion towards the city over the Mount of Olives. On His way, being an 
hungered, He sees at a distance a fig-tree in full foliage, giving the promise of 
fruit ; but on drawing near He finds it barren, and pronounces, in the hearing 
of His followers, a curse upon it, that the moral lesson might strike their hearts, 
and perhaps forewarn and save the traitor Judas. The tree had exhausted 
itself in outer show, it bare no fruit : 1 Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward 
for ever,' said the Lord : 1 And He departed, when presently the fig-tree 
withered away ! ' So with the hypocrite ; notwithstanding his fair but deceitful 
promise, Christ shall leave him, and his hope shall surely perish. 

When they were come to Jerusalem, going immediately to the temple, He 
finds that His admonition of yesterday has been forgotten if not despised, and 
the money tables and the exchangers have again thrust themselves into the 
Holy Place. How pertinacious in their calling are the votaries of Mammon ! 
With what difficulty are they expelled from their places of resort, even in the 
spiritual temple of the heart ! But the Lord again drives these traffickers 
away. They had never dared to enter the inner court, which the Jews held 



92 



HE TEACHES IN THE TEMPLE. 



specially sacred, and would not suffer to be thus denied : but they were per- 
mitted to occupy the court of the Gentiles, to the exclusion, or at least to the 
great hindrance of those who, from Pagan nations, had become converts to the 
unity of God, and who desired to worship near His holy temple. These privi- 
leges He who was to break down the partition- wall between Jew and Gentile, 
now vindicated on two successive days, saying, 1 Is it not written My House 
shall be called of all nations, the House of Prayer ? but ye have made it a 
den of thieves. 7 

After thus purifying the temple Jesus continues his instructions ; for we are 
told that He taught daily in the temple, and the people were very attentive to 
hear Him. But this so much the more excited the indignation of the chief Priests 
and Pharisees, and prompted them to seek how they might destroy Him. He was 
still however in such favor with the people, that they dared attempt nothing 
openly, and suffered Him peaceably to retire again to Bethany. In His 
return a different road was taken from that by which He went to the city in the 
morning, because no observation is made upon the withered fig-tree, which 
could not have been passed without attracting notice. He therefore, instead 
of crossing the summit of the Mount of Olives, took the shorter way around 
its eastern base. 

Tuesday. — Again, in the morning, our Lord with His disciples leaves Bethany 
for Jerusalem, by the same path which He had taken yesterday, and now as 
they approach the fig-tree so lately covered with thrifty leaves, they find it 
withered away and dried up from the roots. Peter draws attention to it, and 
Christ improves the occasion to speak to them of the power of an undoubting 
faith. Arrived at the temple, He at once enters upon His work of teaching 
the people, when He is interrupted by the captious objections raised by the 
chief Priests and Elders to His authority. The whole day seems to have been 
passed in the temple. He discoursed upon many important subjects, illustrated 
them by striking parables, and defeated the malicious attempts of the Pharisees, 
the Sadducees, and the Herodians who tried successively to entangle Him by 
insidious questions. At last, the measure of His forbearance having been 
exhausted, He turns to the multitude and to His disciples, and gives them an 



THE GLORY OF THE TEMPLE. 



93 



earnest caution against these corrupt teachers whom He denounces as blind 
guides and hypocrites. Then, sorrowfully reflecting upon the ingratitude and 
obstinacy which His benevolent labors had met with, and upon the merciless 
return He was about to receive, He utters that touching expostulation, ' Jeru- 
salem, Jerusalem, that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent 
unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a 
hen gather eth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not !' 

All these things took place, probably, in that inner court-yard of the temple 
in which was situated the treasury, where the people deposited, in chests pre- 
pared for the purpose, their voluntary contributions to maintain the service of 
the temple. Here Jesus saw that poor widow, whose name is unknown, but 
whose deed of self-denying, unostentatious charity, in casting in two mites, was 
more in the sight of heaven than all the offerings of the rich. 

As our Lord was now retiring from the temple, one of his disciples directed 
His attention to the majestic structure, — ' Master see what manner of buildings 
and what stones are here.' Then came that fearful prophecy, so improbable as 
it doubtless seemed when uttered, but yet so literally fulfilled : 1 There shall 
not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down.' This 
night he retired, we are told, to the Mount of Olives, but whether He went as 
far as Bethany we are not informed. 

"Wednesday. — Last night our Lord abode in the Mount that is called the 
Mount of Olives. Early in the morning, as He sat there still, the disciples 
came unto Him privately, to ask Him when that destruction of the temple 
should be which he had yesterday foretold. As they were gathered in a group 
upon the face of the Mount, its summit towering above and behind them, the 
newly risen sun looking over it began to throw his beams upon the pinnacles 
and porches of the temple. What more glorious object to behold than a 
majestic pile of buildings, on some lofty eminence, receiving the first salutations 
of the king of day ! He gives a new existence to the beauty of its proportions, 
before confused or ill defined, and bathes them now in a stream of golden light. 
So have we seen the mosque of Omar seated in calm dignity and splendor upon 
its lofty platform, and its wide area filled with turbaned votaries, moving to and 



94 



THE FEABFUL PEOPHECIES. 



fro in their bright and many colored robes, or prostrate at their morning prayer. 
So to our Saviour and His apostles appeared, but far more beautiful and 
majestic, that temple of the Lord ; its Court of the Gentiles thronged with a 
mixed multitude, its white-robed priests ministering in their appropriate inclo- 
sure, and the smoke of incense and the morning sacrifice ascending in clouds 
to heaven. 

Now they ask, ' When shall these things be ?' When shall this Holy Place 
so adorned with goodly stones and gifts, be consigned to destruction so that one 
stone shall not be left upon another that shall not be thrown down ? 1 And 
what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?' Then 
follow the fearful prophecies of the judgment and of the destruction of the city 
and temple ? ' There shall be wars and rumors of wars, nation rising against 
nation, and kingdom against kingdom, earthquakes in divers places, famines and 
troubles : these are the beginnings of sorrows. After the tribulation of those 
days, shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the 
stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And 
then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven : and then shall all the 
tribes of the earth mourn. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not 
the angels of God, but my Father only. Watch, therefore, for ye know not 
what hour your Lord doth come.' The earnest warning, Watch! is again 
enforced by the parable of the ten virgins and the talents, and the dread dis- 
course is ended with the description of that day, 1 when the Son of Man shall 
come in His glory. And before Him shall be gathered all nations, and He shall 
separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats ; 
and He shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. And 
these shall go away into everlasting punishment : but the righteous into life 
eternal.' In the evening of this memorable day, Bethany is for the last time 
honored by the presence of her Lord. Simon the leper, receives the Divine 
Physician who had healed his loathsome malady, and Lazarus is one of them 
that sit at the evening feast. His sister Mary comes to serve, and in the fulness 
of her love brings an alabaster box of very precious ointment of spikenard. 
She pours part of it upon the head of Jesus, and with the rest she anoints His 



THE GRATITUDE AND LOVE OF MAEY. 



95 



feet. To us, whose customs are so different, this may seem a singular expression 
of respect. But we may remember that among the ancients it was no 
uncommon thing for the guests to be crowned with chaplets of flowers and 
perfumed with odors. The disciples objected to this- action of Mary, not its 
singularity, but its expense. The ointment, said they, might have been sold for 
much and given to the poor. The traitor Judas was the instigator of this 
complaint ; not, says St. John, that he cared for the poor, but because he was a 
thief and had charge of the common purse. The objection, however, seems 
plausible, and it may be asked why our Saviour who was so unostentatious, so 
regardless not merely of the luxuries but even of the conveniences of life, so 
mindful of the necessities of the poor, and so ready to relieve them — why 
He should seem now to contradict the uniform tenor of His life and permit this 
profusion ? But would it have been consistent with the gentle and amiable 
character of Jesus, to have rejected the pious offering of Mary ? Her brother 
Lazarus had not long before been restored to life, our Saviour had honored her 
family with peculiar marks of His regard, for ' Jesus loved Martha and her 
sister, and Lazarus.' In the warmth of her love and gratitude, and perhaps 
with melancholy presage of her approaching loss, she had exerted herself to 
procure the means of expressing outwardly the feelings of her heart. Cold and 
hard must be the soul of that man, who would wish to see the stream of pure 
and innocent love repressed by an unkind hand, and turned back, with the 
chilling influence of rejected affection, to the bosom of grateful Mary. Not 
such was that meek and Holy One, who was all love and gentleness. He 
received graciously the proffered token, defended the conduct of Mary, and 
promised that wherever ' this Grospel should be preached in the whole world, 
that which this woman had done should be told for a memorial of her.' Yes, 
Mary, thou shalt still be remembered ; and the piety which brought upon thee 
unmerited rebuke, is now recorded to thy praise. This prediction shall be 
fulfilled, and thy simple deed of love proclaimed to millions yet unborn. 

Much has been written about the symbolical meaning of this transaction, but 
the only authentic explanation is found in our Lord's own words : — 'In that 
she hath poured this ointment upon my body, she did it for my burial.' The 



96 



THE TREASON OF JUDAS. 



meaning of which may be that, as our Lord's body could not receive the usual 
embalming, this mark of respect was paid before His death. 

While all this was passing in the house of Simon, the Chief Priests and 
scribes and elders of the people were assembled in Jerusalem at the palace of 
Caiaphas, the High Priest. Here they were consulting upon the best method of 
seizing Jesus, that they might put Him to death. In conducting this hateful 
enterprise there was need of great caution, for Jesus was still very high in the 
esteem of the multitude. There were, without doubt, many now in the 
city, who had been the subjects of His miraculous cures, and many more who 
had been eye-witnesses of them ; for the feast of the Passover brought the 
inhabitants of Judea from all directions up to Jerusalem. On this account 
those who were plotting against the life of our Saviour, feared to seize Him 
openly on the Feast Day. They were, therefore, consulting that they might take 
Him with subtilty and kill Him ! 

While thus debating, Judas appeared for their relief. Who would have 
looked for the traitor among those whom Jesus had selected for His particular 
friends, and whom He had distinguished by peculiar marks of confidence and 
affection ? There were only twelve, but of this small number one was a devil. 
Judas appears to have followed our Saviour in the hope of sharing the advan- 
tages of that temporal kingdom which the apostles long expected. But he was 
now weary of a service less lucrative than he had hoped, and awaited only a 
good opportunity to desert it, with some show of an excuse. This was afforded 
at the supper in the house of Simon. When our Saviour rebuked him for 
objecting to the pious deed of Mary, he felt the resentment of detected hypo- 
crisy and disappointed avarice. He lost the opportunity of embezzling part 
of the proceeds of the box of ointment, and saw that our Lord looked through 
his plausible objection at the dishonest motive. Upon this, he left the house, 
hastened back to the city, and gratified both his revenge and his avarice by 
selling his friend and Master for thirty pieces of silver. Thenceforth he sought 
opportunity to betray Him in the absence of the multitude ; a deed of dark- 
ness, for which the fitting season was night ! 

Thursday. — On the evening of this day the Paschal feast was celebrated by 



CHAMBER OF THE LAST SUPPER. 



9V 



our Lord and His disciples, and then was instituted the Eucharistic commemo- 
ration of the sacrifice of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 
The occasion had been anticipated and spoken of for some time as one of the 
deepest interest. ' With desire,' said our Lord, ' I have desired to eat this 
Passover with you before I suffer.' In the morning, therefore, while they were 
yet at Bethany, His disciples came unto Him, saying, ' Where wilt Thou that we 
go and prepare for Thee, that Thou may est eat the Passover '?' Peter and John 
were accordingly sent to Jerusalem, with instructions as to the place ; and our 
Lord, with the other disciples, probably passed the day in Bethany, or on the 
Mount of Olives ; for there is no intimation of His being in the city until the 
evening. The two disciples must have gone far before they met the man 
bearing a pitcher of water, whom they were directed to follow, because his 
house was in that part of the city most distant from the Mount of Olives. They 
there found, as they had been forewarned, the guest-chamber ; a large upper 
room furnished. Its site is still pointed out, on that part of Mount Zion which 
is now outside the walls, at a short distance from the Zion gate, but the ancient 
city covered this space. A magnificent church, erected there by the Empress 
Helena, was laid in ruins by the Saracens. It was rebuilt, however, in process 
of time, and came into the possession of the Fathers of the Holy Land. In 1561 
it was converted into a mosque, and as the tomb of David is within its enclo- 
sure, the Turks still hold it in great reverence. 

This tomb is guarded with such jealousy that no Christian may approach it. 
We were not, however, excluded from the place venerated by the Greek and 
Eoman Christians as the coenaculum or chamber of the Last Supper. A flight 
of twenty steps leads to a large hall, with a vaulted roof, supported by two 
pillars. We could not remain there as long as we desired, for a Turkish proces- 
sion, with banners flying, and cymbals and drums beating, was just entering, 
and had we approached them in their bigoted zeal, we should have been exposed 
to insult if not to injury. While they were engaged in their ceremonies at the 
tomb, we had time to examine the chamber, and to indulge in brief meditations 
which it naturally excited. Here, as in other instances, faith and incredulity 
were wonderfully combined. That this was the actual chamber where our Lord 

13 



98 



BEGINNING OF THE FEAST. 



with His disciples assembled upon so august an occasion, we could not for one 
moment yield up our judgments to believe. But that here once stood that very 
house in which was the guest-chamber, we saw no reason to doubt. We were 
then near by, or upon that spot where first was celebrated the feast, whose 
simple viands can never be changed; — to which the rich and the poor, the 
learned and the ignorant, and all the kindreds of the earth are invited as to a 
common table, and which shall ever be, to the end of time, a pledge of pardon, 
a fountain of grace, and a symbol of love between men on earth, and between 
men and God in heaven. 

Was not this, too, that same upper room, mentioned in the sacred history, as 
the scene of other events of unspeakable importance to the Church ? Was it 
not here that Jesus, after his resurrection, more than once visited the disciples, 
and also confirmed the faith of Thomas ? here, that Matthias was chosen to fill 
the bishoprick which Judas lost by transgression ? here that, after the Lord's 
Ascension, He sent down, on the day of Pentecost, His Holy Spirit in cloven 
fiery tongues? and here, that the Church first statedly sanctified the Lord's 
Day, and the twelve constantly resorted with the faithful, until that period 
when ; in obedience to the command of their Divine Master, they went forth to 
teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and 
of the Holy Ghost? 

The sun having set, the first day of the feast, according to the Jewish mode 
of reckoning from evening to morning, began. Jesus with His disciples enters 
the chamber, and they all recline at the table which had been prepared. Judas 
is amongst them, for his treachery is as yet known only to the Lord. His feet 
were washed by those Divine hands, but He was not thereby rendered clean, 
nor was His heart subdued by this manifestation of humility and love. The 
Jewish passover he may also eat, and take his portion of the lamb slain that 
morning ; but was He permitted with those sacrilegious hands and those false 
lips to' touch the symbols of that immaculate Lamb, which, through his 
treachery, was now about to be immolated ? When our Lord spake those words 
which must have pierced his guilty soul, £ What thou doest do quickly, ' Judas 
soon left the room to complete his traitorous design. 



LAST VISIT TO GETHSEMANE. 



99 



The Lord has blessed the bread and the cup, and said, ' This do in remem- 
brance of me.' This affecting service is ended, the promise of the Comforter 
given, and the hymn sung, when Jesus says, ' Arise, let us go hence.' To the 
Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane they now direct their steps. 
They probably left the city by the nearest gate, and under the light of the full 
moon, found their way down the steep descent of Mount Zion without the walls, 
leaving the valley of Hinnom on their right. They cross a narrow dell, and 
wind around the base of Mount Moriah, their pathway skirting the valley of 
Jehoshaphat, while the foundations of the temple rise high above their heads. 
During this walk, through vineyards which clothed the hill-sides, He spake of 
Himself as the true vine, and taught them that if they as branches would bear 
fruit, they must abide in Him. The instruction, warning, and admonition which 
St. John so fully records, filled up the precious hour. And once they rested, 
perhaps, beneath the overhanging walls of the temple, and within the murmur- 
ing sound of Siloa's brook, and there the Lord poured forth to His Father that 
earnest prayer for them and for all who should believe on Him through their 
word. 

As they approach the scene of betrayal they are warned again, ' All ye shall 
be offended because of me this night.' Peter protests, but his fall is foretold ; 
they all protest their allegiance, but within a very short distance is the place, 
and ere the lapse of a few brief hours the time, when their promises are forfeited. 
They draw near the Keclron, and may suppose that they are on their return to 
Bethany. But never more before His death, shall they behold this beloved spot 
together. The brook passed over He leads them to the well-known garden. 
A few steps would bring them to Gethsemane. The mingled sentiments of 
awe, and love, and grief which this venerated spot must inspire in every devout 
heart, I have before endeavored to convey in words far more impressive than 
mine. 

The memory of each event is perpetuated by designating its place ; although 
for their accuracy it might be hardihood to vouch. Yet, whose heart would not 
be moved as he contemplates the Grotto of the Agony, reflecting that if not on 
the very spot where He reads the inscription, hic factus est sudor ejus sicut 



100 



THE WAY OF THE CAPTIVITY. 



guttje SANGUINIS decurrentis IN terram, it must nevertheless have been near, 
that the Son of God prayed earnestly for the bitter cup to pass from Him, and 
in the anguish of His soul His sweat was as it were great drops of blood. And 
when pointed to the place, a stone's cast distant, where the three apostles fell 
asleep, whose heart would not melt at the reproof, ' What, could ye not watch 
one hour?' Who would not be roused by the admonition, ' Watch and pray, 
lest ye enter into temptation ?' And who not grateful for the merciful remem- 
brance of human infirmity, 'the spirit truly is willing but the flesh is weak?' 
And toning to the spot called Osculo, who could repress his shuddering 
indignation at the recollection of that traitor's kiss which betrayed the Lord ? 

In the dead of night came Judas hither with his band of men and officers, 
and Jesus is seized ; but the disciples, after a momentary resistance on the part 
of Peter, desert their suffering Lord. From this period to the crucifixion but a 
few hours transpire, yet more space is given to their record in the sacred 
narratives than elsewhere to months and years. In the time of Helena an 
attempt was made to find the true locality for each principal event in our Lord's 
progress from Gethsemane to Calvary. In some few instances these are, 
without doubt, in accordance with the truth ; but the greater part must be con- 
sidered as belonging to that system of pious inventions which unhappily have 
found too ready an acquiescence in superstitious minds. These localities are 
still venerated as stations, and as we follow them, although we may not give 
them our belief, they may yet serve to impress upon us the regular series of 
events which took place on this road of suffering from the Garden to the Cross. 

Again, and now for the last time, the Kedron was to be passed. Then 
follows the steep ascent of Mount Zion, and entering the city gate they proceed 
to the house of Annas, and thence to the Palace of Caiaphas. This is situated 
beyond the present walls, upon Mount Zion ; and not far distant from the 
chamber of the Last Supper. In the Palace of Caiaphas, and under the shadow 
of night, a solemn assembly of the scribes and the elders had been called, under 
unusual excitement, and here Jesus was adjured by the living God to declare 
whether he was the Christ or no. 

Peter, under the influence of an impulsive temperament and urged by his 



VIA DOLOKOSA, 



101 



ardent love for his Master, has now recovered, in some degree, from his fear, and 
following Him afar off with St. John, has been admitted into the palace. But, 
alas ! his courage is of short duration, and the zealous apostle, betrayed by self- 
reliance, ignobly falls, and, within the brief period foretold, thrice denies his 
Lord. The cock crew and day drew on. 

At early dawn, the elders, the chief priests and the scribes assembled in 
council, condemned and bound the Lord, and led Him from Mount Zion to the 
palace of the Eoman governor. This is still designated by the lower step only 
of the Santa Scala. Eestrained by the Koman law, and unable to wreak their 
malice and satisfy the spirit of revenge without the aid of Pilate, He is brought 
before the governor, who being assured of His innocence, and finding He was a 
Galilean, sent Him to Herod, the site of whose palace is still pointed out. Here 
he was mocked by the emblems of royalty, being set at naught by Herod's men 
of war ! 

In the mean time the traitor Judas, conscience-stricken, has cast down before 
his employers the reward of his fearful iniquity, and driven by despair to the 
Mount of Olives, has there laid violent hands upon his own life. The place of 
this awful suicide is still pointed out at no great distance from the peaceful 
village which his betrayed Master loved so well. 

From Herod's palace He is sent again to Pilate, who, satisfied of His 
innocence, brings Him out to the enraged multitude with the memorable words, 
■ Behold the man ! I find no fault in Him.' But they who a short time before 
shouted Hosanna ! now shout with greater vehemence, ' Crucify Him ! crucify 
Him !' Like a Lamb to the slaughter He is led through the ' Sorrowful Way,' that 
Yia Dolorosa which has long been venerated as the path from a court without 
justice to a death without mercy ! The street which bears this sad descriptive 
name, extends by a crooked course from the palace of the Eoman governor to Cal- 
vary. It has for centuries been annually travelled by Christian pilgrims, whose 
easy credulity has made them accept as truth traditions for which there is no satis- 
factory proof ; but at the same time it may be conceded, that they need not all be 
set aside as utterly improbable. Our faith, indeed, was not sufficiently strong to 
arrest our steps at these separate places, while we gave way to devout thoughts 



102 



THE KOAD OF THE CEOSS. 



and remembrances such as filled our hearts on the Mount of Olives, at Bethany, 
Grethsemane, and in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. But it may not be un- 
interesting to you, to see what impressions are produced by them upon those 
whose religious discipline has caused them to be, not more devout we trust, but 
certainly more easy of belief. " Come along with me," says one, " to the Eoad 
of the Cross, and let thoughts of grief, repentance, gratitude and love accompany 
our steps. Nine of the fourteen stations are in the streets, forming the Yia 
Dolorosa, so that the pilgrim is obliged to refrain from all external signs of piety, 
if he would avoid the insults and outrages of which Turkish fanaticism is not 
sparing. To satisfy their devotion in some trifling degree, most of the pilgrims 
seek to touch by stealth the object which marks the station, thoxigh frequently 
covered with spittle, and then to lay their hand upon their heart. 

" The first station in the Eoad of the Cross begins at the very spot where the 
last in the Way of the Captivity ends ; that is at the Lithostrotos, called in the 
Hebrew Glabbatha, where Jesus was condemned to die upon the cross. 

" The second station is on the spot where Jesus, delivered up to His implacable 
enemies, was hurried away through a furious mob, loading Him with impreca- 
tions, to be burdened with His cross, which He was to bear to Calvary. There 
is nothing to indicate the exact point of this station. 

" To reach the third, you must pass under the arcade of the Ecce Homo. At 
the end of the street, turning to the left, near a Turkish bath, you come to a 
prostrate column of red marble, which, according to tradition, marks the spot 
where our Saviour fainted for the first time under the weight of the instrument 
of his execution. 

"Forty paces farther, you enter a street which leads to the Yia Dolorosa, in 
which there was formerly a church, known by the name of Notre Dame des 
Sept-Douleurs : this is the fourth station. On this spot it was that Mary, thrust 
back by the soldiers, met her Son toiling under the weight of the ignominious 
wood oh which He was about to die. Without making explicit mention of this 
meeting, the evangelists infer it in their narratives by showing us the blessed 
Virgin on Calvary, at the moment of the death of Jesus ; and this tradition 
supported by the testimony of several great saints, dates from high antiquity. 




D.Appleton ic C°200. Broadway. New York 



THE WAY TO CALVAEY. 



103 



" Sixty paces farther begins the fifth, station, at the foot of the hill which leads 
to Golgotha. Here it was that Christ, exhausted by His long sufferings, stum- 
bled ; and that the Jews, eager for His blood, stopped a Cyrenian, and forced 
him to bear the cross. ' And, as they led Him away, -they laid hold upon one 
Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, 
that he might bear it after Jesus.' 

"Proceeding about eighty paces, you come to the sixth station. It is the 
house of Yeronica, or, more correctly speaking, the spot on which stood that 
house, the very ruins of which have disappeared, and on which is now seen the 
dwelling of a Greek family. You are shown the place where that heroic 
woman, forcing her way through the soldiers and the crowd which surrounded 
Jesus, and throwing herself at His feet, wiped His distorted features, the 
impression of which was left upon the cloth which had touched the august face 
of the Saviour of the world. 

" About one hundred paces from the house of St. Yeronica is the Judgment 
gate, through which malefactors passed who were to be executed on Calvary. 
This gate is walled up for half its height ; behind you can perceive the stone 
pillar, on which the sentence of Pilate was posted. It is upright, and may be 
seen at a distance. 

" It is about eighty paces from the Judgment gate to the place where Jesus fell, 
for the second time, under the weight of His cross. It is marked by an incision 
made in a stone in the wall. 

"From the Judgment gate to the top of Calvary, the ascent begins to be 
steeper. The eighth station is about thirty fathoms from the preceding. It may 
be known by a thick column, placed before a doorway of mean appearance, and 
which is walled up. It was there that Christ spoke to the women of Jerusalem, 
who were shedding tears over His fate, and exhorted them to weep for 
themselves. 

" The way which formerly led to Calvary, and along which our Saviour passed, 
no longer exists ; it is covered with houses, amidst which is the ninth station, 
likewise marked by a thick column, the approach to which Turkish fanaticism 



104 



EASTER EVE. 



has taken delight to render disagreeable, by heaping up filth against it for the 
purpose of keeping off the Christians. 

" The tenth and the last four stations are in the immense Church of the Holy 
Sepulchre." 

I have given this account abridged from the words of Father De Greramb, a 
monk of the monastery of Notre Dame de la Trappe, as well as the narration 
of the singular ceremonies at the other 1 'stations " in the Church of the Holy 
Sepulchre, to show the interest which many Christians still have in the most 
doubtful places and traditions, and as a history of events which are constantly 
occurring in our own time in Jerusalem. Some men believe every thing ; and 
some think, with the great philosopher of old, that ' nothing can be known with 
certainty.' For my own part, since Faith is a higher principle than doubt, I look 
upon the believer even in the impossible, with greater reverence than upon the 
unhappy and universal skeptic. 

Saturday. — During the whole of this day our Lord lay in the tomb of 
Joseph of Arimathea. This, as well as the other places, has been already 
mentioned in the account of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. As my wish 
has been to give a history of Passion Week in connection with the sacred places, 
and -as the sufferings of our Lord ended with the words 'It is finished,' we may 
feel that our solemn task is almost accomplished ; for now the week of suffering 
and humiliation has been closed, and the day of reward and exaltation draws 
near. From the night of the grave and the silence of the tomb, He is now to 
eome forth with the light of everlasting glory and a life which shall never end ; 
for 1 Christ being risen from the dead dieth no more.' Death lost his dominion 
on Easter Eve, the last hours of his tyranny. 

Easter-Day. — To begin the History of last Sunday we endeavored to 
accompany our Lord on his triumphal entry into Jerusalem ; when by th<; 
power of divine wisdom, truth and goodness, he seemed about to obtain an 
earthly victory over his enemies. But this was not to be ; for His kingdom is 
not of this world. Therefore it was necessary that he should be humbled yet 
more in order that his triumph may be greater. And now the hour is nigh. 
The entry into Jerusalem was but a lesser glory compared with his coming 



THE TOMB OF THE LOKD. 



105 



victory over the powers of darkness, death, and the grave, when he burst the 
bars of the tomb and came forth leading captive the last and now vanquished 
enemy. 

Already, and on several occasions, we had walked around and examined the 
Church in detail, but had never yet been admitted within the Holy Sepulchre. 
To this then, on the great Festival of the Eesurrection our thoughts were 
naturally directed. Making our way through the crowd of pilgrims that always, 
at this season, fill the area of the Church, we went directly to that portion of it 
which is called the Temple of the Eesurrection and of the Holy Sepulchre. 
This is an immense circular edifice, about one hundred and thirty feet in 
diameter, erected over the mausoleum. Upon entering this Temple you see 
above jom head a stupendous dome supported by solid square columns, the 
spaces between them being occupied by arcades and galleries. Beneath this 
dome and in the centre of the floor stands the smaller edifice which contains the 
tomb ; forming thus a church within a church. It is an oblong building, but 
circular at the western extremity, against which stands the Coptic altar. The 
entrance is at the eastern end, which is square. It has in front a balustraded 
platform with lofty candelabra at the four corners, and ascended by a low flight 
of marble steps. The whole building is cased in costly stones and marbles, and 
surmounted by a fretted dome of Saracenic architecture. Suspended above the 
platform and extending to the interior of the outer dome is a rich piece of 
tapestry, embroidered with a cross in the centre. Visitors, as they approach 
this platform, are requested to remove their shoes from their feet, in compliance 
with ancient and oriental custom. What Christain would refuse to do this 
remembering the words of Jehovah Himself to his servant Moses, ' the place 
whereon thou standest is holy ground ?' So great were the crowds upon and 
around this platform, that some time elapsed before we could gain admission. 

The interior is divided into two parts. The first is called the Chapel of the 
Angel, and in the centre is a square column, supporting a block of marble. On 
this we were told that the angel sat who announced to the women, approaching 
to embalm the body of Jesus, 'He is not here: for He is risen, as He said; 
Come see the place where the Lord lay.' This chamber then, forms the vestibule 

14 



■4 



106 



EXCURSION TO THE DEAD SEA. 



to the sepulchre, and in the opposite wall is a low, rectangular, narrow opening, 
from which poured out a powerful stream of light. Bending nearly double, we 
entered the chamber of the sepulchre, which is about six feet square, one-half 
being occupied by the marble that covers the native rock. It is white, slightly 
veined with blue, six feet long, three wide, and rises about two feet from the 
floor. It is not highly polished, but bears the appearance of exposure to the 
weather, an effect produced doubtless by the hands and lips of countless 
pilgrims. The marble covering was found to be requisite to secure the tomb in 
the rock from the depredations of the pious worshippers. From the ceiling- 
hang perhaps forty silver lamps, beautifully chased, the gifts of various poten- 
tates and devotees. These are kept constantly burning, and are so numerous 
that they hide the inner dome, and throw a blaze of light through the chamber. 
Although the smoke and heat escape in part by three vents in the vaulted roof, 
we found the atmosphere oppressive through imperfect ventilation. If, instead 
of this gorgeous mausoleum, those silver lamps and these costly marbles, we 
could have been permitted to stand by the tomb hewn in the rock, before the 
latter had been levelled to suit the purposes of the architect, how much more 
grateful and unmingled had been our emotions ! 

EXCURSION FROM JERUSALEM TO THE DEAD SEA, THE RIVER 
JORDAN, AND JERICHO. 

Monday, 9th. — This and the following day were allotted to an interesting- 
excursion to the Dead Sea, and the Jordan. It was made remarkable not only 
by the associations attached to the places visited, but by the time chosen for the 
excursion, and the company that surrounded us. It was the day on which the 
Greek pilgrims make their annual visit to the river Jordan, to bathe in the 
sacred stream. It is a dangerous journey on account of the Arabs, who assemble 
at this season, like the eagles gathering over the carcass, and hovering around 
the caravan, are prepared to pounce upon and plunder all stragglers, on the 
established principle that 1 Grod gave the land of Canaan to Isaac, but to 
Ishmael the desert, and all that is thereon,' and they make ' the desert ' mean 



CEOWDS OF PILGEIMS. 



107 



any place that suits their opportunity. But as Jerusalem depends chiefly upon 
the visits of pilgrims, and their absence would greatly diminish the income of 
its Mohammedan masters, the Turkish governor is careful to afford the pilgrims 
every facility, and therefore furnished them on this occasion, as usual, with a 
body of soldiers for their protection. It was a good opportunity to visit the 
places which I have named, and we gladly embraced it. But as we expected 
to visit the Dead Sea also, which is not a part of the Greek pilgrimage, we 
were provided with our own guard. Being joined by the English gentlemen 
and some other persons in Jerusalem, who availed themselves of our company 
for safety, we formed a party of some ten or twelve persons on horseback. 
But it was not merely a company of Christian pilgrims that set out together. 
It was also the time of the Mussulman pilgrimage to the tomb of the Prophet 
Moses ; for, strange to tell, though that lawgiver was never permitted to enter 
into the promised land, and the Scriptures assure us that ' no man knoweth 
of his sepulchre unto this day,' the Mohammedans have got over all the diffi- 
culties, and not only know the spot, and show the sepulchre, but have placed 
it within the borders of the Land of Promise ! Going out of the gate of the 
city early in the morning, the road presented a most animated scene. Thou- 
sands and thousands of people, men, women and children, were assembled on 
the steep banks that overlook the valley of the Kedron, to see the pilgrims go 
forth. The rocky projections, and every available spot, were alive with them, 
and their variegated dresses and turbans produced a most picturesque effect. It 
was not like our crowds where the preponderance of black hats and dark clothes 
gives the whole a sombre appearance ; but all was gay with white, blue, yellow, 
red, and green, in every direction. Winding our way through this crowd of 
spectators, we were among the throng of the pilgrims of all ages, and both 
sexes, and every way mounted, upon camels, horses, donkeys, and mules. There 
were loads of tents and provisions, as the pilgrims would be absent three days, 
and the country is inhabited by wandering Arabs only. The road led us along 
the side of Mount Olivet, and then over a broken, mountainous region, which 
occupies the whole space to the Yalley of the Jordan. As we commenced our 
winding journey, it was a singular sight to see Jerusalem emptied of her inhabi- 



108 



MOHAMMEDAN PILGEIMS. 



tants, and to watch the motley crowd of pilgrims, old men in panniers, on one side 
of a camel, balancing provisions, or women and children upon the other ; winding 
down the steep descent to cross the bed of the brook Kedron, and then filling 
all the way along the side of the Mount of Olives. We were in a continuous 
crowd of men on horseback, armed with guns and pistols, dashing about, shout- 
ing and firing, as if they were going out to fight, or were upon a frolic, instead 
of a serious pilgrimage. 

I found myself at first made so uncomfortable by an awkward Turkish 
saddle, that I should have been obliged to return and lose this interesting excur- 
sion, had it not been for the great kindness of an English gentleman of our 
party, who being better mounted, and more accustomed to this mode of travel- 
ling, exchanged horses with me. 

For some distance the road was the same for all the pilgrims ; but after a 
time, when the mixed stream of people came to a certain point, the Mohammedans 
separated, and turned off down a valley to the right. We accompanied these, as 
it was our route to the Dead Sea. They had come from all the neighboring 
region in processions, with flags flying, and drums beating: they frequently 
showed their hatred to us, Christians, by calling upon us to move out of the 
road, and as they accompanied these objurgations with the firing of their guns 
and pistols, so as to startle us and our horses as we passed, we were very willing 
to allow them as much room as possible. They were all armed, which is the 
case with almost every man you meet in Syria. The road was up and down the 
sides of the mountains and over the rocks, and was in many places so rough 
and steep, that you would think it impossible for horses to travel over it. But 
the Syrian horses are strong and sure-footed, and I have been carried by them 
over the rocks where I should hardly have felt it safe to go on foot. A wild 
region of barren rocks, a range of mountains, destitute of trees, and almost of 
grass, the rocks being in most places utterly bare, — such was the desolate 
scenery -that surrounded us on our way to the Dead Sea. The landscape is well 
calculated to fill the mind of the traveller with gloom, and these barren rocks 
and innumerable caves compel him to remember that they have been in all ages 
the resort and the dens of thieves and outlaws, who are able to defy the govern- 



CHIVALRY OF THE DESERT. 



109 



ment, and sometimes carry their depredations up to the very walls of Jerusalem. 
And all this they do in the name of Allah ; for they deem it a part of the 
divine law that the plunder of the desert is theirs by the will of (rod. It is the 
right of the strongest that guides the children of Ishmael, and their hand is not 
only against every stranger, but against each other also, if one endeavor to 
defraud another of his lawful share of that property in plunder which heaven 
assigns him. In their minds there is no inconsistency between a high spirit of 
devotion to the religion of their Prophet and the practice of plunder ; but on 
the contrary, like the pirates described by the Greek historian, and like the red- 
haired spoilers of the North, they deem that they exhibit their chivalry and 
spirit by skilful robbery. Our company was so large, and our guard so strong, 
that we met with no misadventures of this kind. But every Frank does not 
escape so comfortably. The author of the Crescent and the Cross, furnishes us 
with the relation of an adventure, far more amusing to narrate and hear, than 
pleasant to endure. "Shortly before my arrival at Jerusalem, an English 
traveller had joined himself to one of these pilgrimages to the Jordan for the 
sake of security, as well as of curiosity. When about half-way to Jericho, he 
happened to linger behind the caravan, and was cantering along the lonely road 
to overtake it : suddenly his horse was checked by a resistless grasp, and him- 
self thrown to the ground. The moment before, there was no living creature 
visible in that wild glen ; now, on recovering from the shock, he saw an Arab 
bending over him, with his spear pointed at his bosom ; two others stood by, 
and his horse had disappeared. Not understanding the menacing injunction to 
he still, he tried to rise, and was instantly pinned to the ground by the Arab's 
lance. Seeing that resistance was hopeless, he submitted to his fate, and the two 
Arabs approached with the request, 'Cousin, undress thyself, thy aunt is 
without a garment.' As he displayed considerable reluctance in assisting the 
wants of his unknown relative, they stripped him with wonderful dispatch. They 
soon left him in a state of utter nudity, and in reply to all his remonstrances, 
only returned him his hat which they looked upon with contempt, and useless 
even to his unscrupulous ' aunt.' They even took away the hat-band, and then 
left him to return as best he might to the crowded metropolis." 



110 



SCENERY OF THE DEAD SEA. 



We passed ISTebby Mousa, as it is called, or the Tomb of the Prophet Moses. 
It is a mosque, in a desolate region amongst the mountains, and is built over the 
spot ; it is said, where Moses died and was buried. Of this I have already 
spoken as a Mohammedan tradition, which in place and circumstance is utterly 
contradictory of the Scriptures. But it is an object of high reverence with the 
Muslim, and a great pilgrimage is annually made that they may say their prayers 
over the grave of the Prophet Moses. Here, therefore, our Mussulman com- 
panions of the journey remained, while our party continued on the way that 
leads to the Dead Sea. At length we obtained the first view from the moun- 
tains ; and the impression made upon us was very different from that which 
seems to have been received by most travellers. The scenery was of a far less 
sombre and melancholy character than we had supposed, and far other than the 
rocky and desolate road through the mountains might have led us to expect. 
In short, the imagination of its gloominess with which our minds were pre- 
occupied, went far beyond the reality. Much, no doubt, is due to association 
with the doomed Cities of the Plain ; but the Dead Sea itself, as seen from the 
hills, is in reality a beautiful lake. It is picturesque in its shape, and its surface 
is of that charming blue tint, known to quiet inland seas in more favored lands. 
The •mountains among which it lies are indeed barren, destitute of trees and 
shrubs, but they are striking in their forms, and conduce far more to a lively than 
a sombre picture. The level plain is indeed desert in strips here and there, but 
these are relieved by the clumps of flourishing shrubs which cover the greater part 
of the valley below. There is one feature in the scenery which is certainly won- 
derfully beautiful. On the north there is an opening among the hills and an 
extensive valley, bounded by the same mountains, with occasional glimpses of 
the river. This is the Yalley of the Jordan, and its course is shown by the 
willows, alders and other shrubs which fringe the borders of the sacred stream. 
As we looked up this lovely valley a singular effect was produced by the fine 
particles of sand, raised in the far distance, very high, by a whirlwind, almost 
in the manner of water-spouts. The sun shining upon and through these 
remarkable columns gave them a very bright appearance, and they formed a 
novel and striking addition to the landscape upon which we were looking. 



EN-GEDI. DAVID AND SAUL. THE PLAIN. 



Ill 



The mountains which, rise above the Dead Sea on the east and west are very 
high, and their names are associated with many scenes of deep interest in the 
sacred narrative. The mountains on the west ascend from the wilderness of En- 
gedi. It was here that David dwelt when he was pursued by Saul, and among 
the caves, or the stony holds of En-gedi he hid himself. The nature of the 
country appears from the description given us in the Scripture history, where 
we are told that Saul 'went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the 
wild goats.' Here David showed that noble example of forgiveness and gene- 
rosity, when he cut off the skirt of Saul's robe, but spared his life, and would 
not put forth his hand against the Lord's anointed. 

The Dead Sea is said to be about fifty miles in length, and ten or twelve in 
breadth; and strange to say has never been thoroughly explored until very 
recently, and perhaps no expedition of the kind could excite more interest than 
that which was so lately accomplished by our enterprising countrymen. This, 
together with the accounts furnished us by Dr. Eobinson and other travellers, 
will soon make the world familiar with a region hitherto, in a great measure, 
unknown, and therefore given up to such fables as that no bird could fly across 
its deadly waters ! It extends towards the south into the kingdom of Edom, and 
on the north receives the Jordan from the plain of Jericho. It is a singular 
fact that there appears to be no outlet for this lake, though it receives so consi- 
derable a supply of water from the Jordan. Its surface is also five or six 
hundred feet lower than that of the Mediterranean, and therefore the wonder 
cannot be solved by supposing a secret, or subterranean communication with the 
Great Sea. The evaporation from such an extent of surface would hardly be 
sufficient to account for the supply of water which it receives from the Jordan 
alone. The mountains of Moab and of the Amorites are those which lie east- 
ward from the Dead Sea. 

On descending the mountains, towards the sea, we found the level ground 
from the foot of the hills to the shore, wild and waste, with a soil resembling 
ashes, in which the hoofs of the horses sank at every step. This was much 
more in accordance with our previous impressions ; and as we approached nearer 
we found many things which distinguish this Mare Mortuum from all the lakes 



112 



ASPHALTUM. SODOM AND GOMORRAH. 



in tlie world. Instead of ripples dancing to the pebbly shore, as if they were 
alive, and breaking into a beautiful white crest of foarn, the small, sleepy, heavy 
waves struck the sand heavily, like melted lead. And yet the shore was not 
bold. There was, all along the shore, and to a short distance out, a disagreeable 
line of perhaps a kind of bituminous scum, which we had some dihiculty in 
avoiding when we went into the sea to bathe. The waters are so buoyant that 
it was a difficult matter to keep our limbs below the surface ; and so acrid, salt 
and bitter, that they produced a painful effect upon the eyes and the lips. 
When the waves broke or rolled heavily over our heads, they not only occa- 
sioned a sensation of pain, but they gave a disagreeable, viscous feeling to the 
hair. 

The briny waters of the Dead Sea lie in the midst of a tract, which modern 
researches have declared not to be volcanic. ' The Yale of Siddim, which is the 
salt sea,' £ was full of slime-pits ' (Genesis xiv. 3-10) ; a remarkable description, 
which is supposed to apply to the pits of asphaltum that have now disappeared, 
and over which Dr. Eobinson conjectures that the southern part of the sea may 
now flow. He also thinks that the cities of Sodom and Gromorrah were not on 
the present principal bed of the lake, which he argues must have existed before 
these' cities were destroyed ; and that the conflagration of the asphaltum in the 
pits or some volcanic action destroyed the fertile plain with the cities on the south 
of the sea, so that the plain would be lowered, and the waters rush in and form 
the southern bay. This would account for the disappearance of the pits, and for 
the fact that after an earthquake large quantities of asphaltum have risen to the 
surface, having been separated by the shock from the ancient pits, now at the 
bottom of the sea. Dr. Eobinson says, " "We travelled with Arabs of different 
tribes, inhabiting both the northern and southern parts of the western coast ; 
and our guides were among the most intelligent Sheikhs of those tribes. We 
inquired often and particularly respecting the phenomena of asphaltum in this 
sea ; and received a uniform answer from all. They had never known of its 
being found except in the sea ; nor there, except after earthquakes. After the 
earthquake of 1834, a considerable quantity was found floating in small pieces, 
which were driven ashore and gathered. After the great earthquake of Jan. 1, 



A MOUNTAIN OF SALT. 



113 



1837, in which Safed was destroyed, a large mass of asphaltum was found float- 
ing in the water, — one said like a house, another like an island, — to which the 
Arabs swam off, and cut it up with axes, and gathered enough to sell for two or 
three thousand Spanish dollars. In both cases the asphaltum was found in the 
southern part of the sea. One Sheikh, a man fifty years old, who had spent his 
life here, said he had never seen asphaltum, or known of its being found at any 
other time." He also says, " small lumps of sulphur are found in many places 
on the shores of the sea." These facts, and many others for which I must 
refer you to the volumes of our learned countryman, are of the deepest interest 
to every one who meditates upon the signal destruction of the cities of the Plain, 
Sodom and Gomorrah. 

Although the mountains which tower above the Dead Sea are naked and 
barren, yet the shore itself, near the sea, supports many bushes and shrubs. We 
were informed that the specific gravity of the water is one-fifth greater than that 
of the Jordan, which flows into it. The excessive saltness of the sea, and the 
variety of substances which it holds in solution, are in fact accounted for by its 
washing the foot of a mountain, which is called by the Arabs, "the Stone of 
Sodom," and is said to be composed of a kind of bitter rock-salt. The sea, 
therefore, having no outlet, that is known, and being subject only to a decrease 
from evaporation, a waste which appears to be not more than supplied by the 
influx from the Jordan, and being thus furnished with inexhaustible supplies 
of impure salt and other chemical substances, would become almost or quite 
saturated with them, in the course of ages. This accounts for its bitter, briny 
quality, and for the lead-like nature of its sluggish waters. These characteris- 
tics, with the undoubted fact that the doomed cities perished upon its site, or 
on that southern border over which part of the sea now flows, are sufficient to 
give to the very name of the Dead Sea associations of silence, desolation and 
solitude, even in our time. How much more, when " the Asphaltic pool " was 
almost unknown to Europe, and its traditions were exaggerated by the heated 
brain of the Crusaders ! 

We found upon the bushes, on the borders of the sea, a singular fruit, which 
reminded us of that striking passage in the song of Moses : ' For their vine is 

15 



114 



APPLES OP SODOM DEAD SEA. 



of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah : their grapes are grapes 
of gallj their clusters are bitter.' (Deuteronomy xxxii. 32.) It is about as large 
as a common plum, and of a bright yellow color, 

" Whose fruit, burnished with golden rind, 
Hung amiable." 

But it is quite hollow, containing scarcely any thing but the seeds. Warburton 
describes this fruit, which he says the Arabs call "Lot's Sea Orange," as being 
full of black dust, an effect produced, it is said, by the attack of a small insect. 
Dr. Robinson found several trees of a different species, ten or fifteen feet in 
height and six or eight inches in diameter. The bark was grayish and like 
cork, and the leaves and flowers like the milk- weed or silk-weed, and a similar 
milky fluid oozed from it when broken. The ripe fruit was like large smooth 
apples or oranges, in clusters of three or four. It was mellow, and tempting, 
but on being struck it exploded like a puff-ball, being made of skin and fibre 
only. Add the marvellous of the old travellers and naturalists, and we have 
here, no doubt, the apples of Sodom. It required but a slight addition, on the 
part of the ancient pilgrims, to make their listeners, if not themselves, believe, 

" This more delusive, not the touch, but taste 
Deceived ; they fondly thinking to allay 
Their appetite with gust, instead of fruit 
Chewed bitter ashes." 

The accounts which the travellers of five centuries ago give of this fruit, 
and of the Lake of Sodom itself, are quite wonderful if not fearful. Sir John 
Maundeville, A. D. 1322, quaintly and honestly tells us that "the water of that 
sea is very bitter and salt, and if the earth were moistened with that water it 
would -never bear fruit. And the earth and land changeth oft its color. The 
water casteth out a thing that is called asphalt, in pieces as large as a horse, 
every day and on all sides. — It is called the Dead Sea, because it does not run, 
but is ever motionless. Neither man, beast, nor any thing that hath life, may 



VALLEY OF THE JOED AN. 



115 



die in that sea ; and that hath been proved many times by men that have been 
condemned to death, who have been cast therein, and left therein three or four 
days, and they might never die therein, for it receiveth nothing within him that 
breatheth life. And if a man cast iron therein it will- float on the surface ; but 
if men cast a feather therein, it will sink to the bottom ; and these are things 
contrary to nature. And there beside grow trees that bear apples, very fair of 
color to behold ; but when we break or cut them in two we find within ashes 
and cinders, which is a token that by the wrath of God the cities and the land 
were burned and sunk into hell. Into that sea, by the wrath of God, sunk the 
five cities, Sodom, Gomorrah, Aldama, Seboym, and Segor, for the abominable 
sin that reigned in them. But Segor, by the prayer of Lot, was saved and kept 
a great while, for it was set upon a hill, and some part of it still appears above 
the water ; and men may see the walls when it is fair and clear weather." 

But we must leave the Dead Sea, an inexhaustible subject, and one which 
will long excite the interest and the wonder of Christendom, notwithstanding 
the light thrown over its mysteries by the researches of modern travellers and 
the triumphs of modern science. We pursued our way over the once fertile 
plain of the Yalley of the Jordan. It is now entirely uncultivated and unfruit- 
ful. It is called by the natives el-Ghor, which means a low plain, and seems to 
be applied to the great valley of the great river by way of pre-eminence. That 
part of the valley in which the river flows is many feet lower than the two sides 
of the plain, and being filled with trees and herbage, at least on the brink of the 
river, offers a scene very unlike that presented by the rest of the plain. The 
valley is of very considerable extent, running for about fifty or sixty miles north 
from the Dead Sea, and is about nine miles wide. Ascending from the level of 
the sea and the channel of the river you come to a wide strip of sand and gravel 
deeply gullied, and covered with thin coarse grass and clumps of shrubs. 
Between this and the base of the mountains the land becomes more level and 
fertile, and there are extensive sweeps of rank, reed-like grass. These form a 
cover for some wild animals. 

In the course of our ride through it a wild boar was started, to which some 
of the Arabs, and two of our English companions, with their characteristic love 



116 



AEAB PLEDGE OE AMITY THE DJEKID. 



of sport, gave cliase for a mile or two, but without success. Soon after another 
incident occurred to enliven our journey. A Sheikh of one of the Beddowee 
tribes of the valley came up to us mounted upon a beautiful spirited steed, and 
accompanied by several of his followers. He saluted us courteously and 
presented a long willow staff to one of our company, a young gentleman 
attached to the British consulate, who spoke Arabic. This, we were informed, 
was a pledge of amity and an assurance that we should receive no molestation 
from his tribe. Had we not been well attended, and the soldiers of the Pasha 
near at hand, he would with equal readiness have robbed us or levied a heavy 
tribute from us. After riding quietly for some time, when we came to a level 
space of ground he started from us at full gallop a short distance, wheeled 
suddenly round, and as he passed us fired one pistol and then another at the 
ground close to our horses' feet, and then began brandishing a long staff as if 
about to throw a javelin at us. These evolutions were repeated several times. 
The fine animal he rode was managed with admirable skill, being made to wheel 
, round, or stop suddenly upon his haunches when at full speed. Several of our 
Arab attendants now took up the same mock combat, but with far less effect, as 
they were neither as well mounted nor as practised in horsemanship as this 
" wild - man of the desert." "We had here an opportunity of witnessing the djerid, 
or the mock exercise of throwing the spear. The presence of so great a crowd of 
pilgrims, and they Christians too, was an opportunity for the Mussulman to exhibit 
his skill and prowess which could not be lightly thrown away. Each horseman 
is provided with a wooden staff, about as long as a spear, and which can do no 
serious injury, unless through the carelessness of the mock combatants; in 
which case the greatest damage would probably be a severe bruise only. 
Mounted on Turkish saddles, with high pommels and short straps, the feet are 
supported in so substantial a manner by the flat shovel-shaped stirrups, that the 
horseman can rise high in air, and standing erect, while his horse is at the top of 
his speed, dart his quasi-javelin with all his own strength added to the momentum 
of the horse. Woe to the luckless object of his aim who is not quick enough 
to evade the threatened blow, or sufficiently skilful to catch the flying javelin by 
the handle. The sport gives occasion to the exercise of every kind of skill, and 



ENCAMPMENT OF PILGKIMS. 



117 



not unfrequently some accomplished horseman will stoop, at full gallop, clutch 
the javelin that lies upon the ground, and dart it in an instant at the opposite 
party. Such was the amusing spectacle of wild but noble horsemanship 
exhibited before us on our way to the camp. 

The place of encampment was near the ancient site of Jericho, and was the 
one annually occupied by the pilgrims on the same occasion. It is a grassy 
plain, of no great extent, surrounded with trees and bushes, and bordered on one 
side with a lively brook of fresh water fed from the ancient fountain of Elisha, 
of which I shall speak presently. In the morning all around had been silent 
and solitary, and probably for weeks and months had been untrodden by the foot 
of man, and to-morrow when we depart, it will be consigned to the same desola- 
tion. Now, however, a city of canvass houses had suddenly sprung up, gay 
and bright, with their white roofs and sides striped with green, blue, and red, and 
the lanes and avenues between were thronged with a noisy, bustling population, 
and with numbers of camels, horses, mules, and donkeys, picketed in every 
direction. People of various nations were there, Eussians, Greeks, Armenians, 
Copts, to the number of more than two thousand, besides the battalion of Turk- 
ish soldiers, sent by the Pasha, to protect us from the plundering Arabs. Many 
of the inhabitants of Jerusalem also, and of other parts of Syria, availed them- 
selves of this opportunity of a safe conduct to make their pilgrimage to the 
Jordan. When we entered we found the tide of social life in full movement, as 
if it had been ebbing and flowing there for centuries. There were persons 
buying and selling articles of food and clothing, blacksmiths at their forges, 
tinmen preparing cans for the pilgrims to carry home the water of the sacred 
river, women passing to and from the brook with their water jugs or busy at the 
numerous fires preparing their evening meal, men smoking quietly at their tent 
doors, or gathered in little circles in earnest talk, and that which more than any 
thing else gives animation to such a scene, the joyous voices and gambols of the 
children. A short march brought us to our home, where we found our faithful 
Asgoul preparing for us the meal, for which we ourselves after our long ride were 
well prepared. 

In the course of the day we had fallen into conversation with a young man, 



118 



FRIENDLY INCIDENT. — VIEW OF THE CAMP. 



a mechanic from London, who had been employed by the Society for the Pro- 
pagation of Christianity amongst the Jews, to superintend the fitting up of the 
Mission Church at Jerusalem, and was still a resident there. Having been 
much pleased with his manners and conversation, we invited him to dine with 
us. This slight civility, which was more than repaid by the interesting infor- 
mation he gave us, he afterwards acknowledged in a most delicate manner by 
sending us a box accompanied with a note as follows : 

Mount Zion, Jerusalem, April 12th, 1849. 

Dear Sirs, 

Dispensing with formalities, I beg your acceptance of the inclosed specimens. 
No. 1. Limestone from Bethlehem and Anathoth, used in the new church on Mount Zion. 
No. 2. Two carved capitals from the altar railing in the same. 
No. 3. Bituminous stone from quarries beyond the Dead Sea. 

No. 4. Specimens of paving-stone from Jerusalem, the red for best purposes, the other for 
floors and roofs. 

No. 5. Specimens of olive wood. 

No. 6. A branch from the oldest tree in the Garden of Gethsemane. 
No. 7. Roman block for tesselated pavements. 

No. 8. Sundry trifling articles in equal quantities, which you will please to divide. 
I remain, dear sirs, yours respectfully, 

WILLIAM STEVENSON. 

Rev. Dr. Wainwright and Mr. Minturn. 

Should these pages ever meet the eye of this amiable young man, I hope 
he will excuse the liberty I have taken in thus, without permission using his 
note and his name. I do it to point a moral for travellers, and to show the 
kindly influence of even small civilities to those we meet. 

After dinner, in the evening, we took a stroll through our city built in a 
few hours, and found it lighted up more brilliantly than London or Paris. 
Each tent had before it a pole stuck in the ground, about four feet high, sup- 
porting a round iron grate, in which was kept up a bright fire with some bitu- 
minous substance. The scene was more gay even than by day. The tents 



THE MARCH TO THE JORDAN. 



119 



were all open in front, and we could see their occupants smoking their pipes, 
some playing at cards and dice, others singing and clapping their hands, and 
all giving evidences of a state of feeling very different from what we should 
suppose would naturally be inspired in the breasts of religious pilgrims, many 
of whom had travelled thousands of miles to bathe in the sacred stream in 
which their Saviour was baptized, and from which they were now separated 
by less than a march of two hours. Before the wide-spread tent of the Turkish 
commander of the troops there was a far worse exhibition. He and his officers 
were seated within, cross-legged upon their carpets, smoking in solemn state. A 
crowd of mingled soldiers and pilgrims formed a large circle before them, and 
within the area there was music and a dance going forward, upon which all 
seemed to be gazing with intent delight ; but a single glance showed it to be of 
so disgusting a character that we were glad to retreat from it at once. I doubt 
whether even those who are familiarized to nightly exhibitions of the polka or 
the waltz could have endured to look upon it any longer than we did. We now 
retired to rest in our tents, but the mingled noises made by the people, the 
bells on the mules, and the braying of the donkeys, effectually banished 
sleep. 

April 10th, Tuesday. — About two o'clock in the morning we were all 
aroused, the whole camp put in motion, and at three we set off for the Jordan. 
The intention is to reach the river, which is two hours distant, as soon as it is 
light enough for the pilgrims to bathe with safety. Two thousand people all 
marching together, some on foot, some on horseback, the old men, women and 
children in a kind of hampers on the camels, with torches to lead the way, and 
under the light of the full moon, formed a scene which it would be difficult to 
describe. The troops went first, and the people followed in a confused mass ; 
but when they approached the river, the crowd of pilgrims pressed on before 
the foot soldiers, and rode as quickly by as possible to the shore. But the J ordan 
runs so deep within its banks, and the willows and other trees upon the borders 
conceal it so much from view, that you do not see the water until you are close 
upon it, The stream is exceedingly rapid, and is discolored like the Tiber at 
Eome. Many of the people, as soon as they could get their bathing dresses 



120 



BATHING IN THE JOED AN. 



ready, threw themselves into the sacred river ; but very few ventured far from 
the shore, except some Copts from Egypt, who are very expert swimmers. They 
swam across, but in doing so were carried down a good distance by the force of 
the current. The pilgrims dip themselves three times in the Jordan. The river 
in this place in not more than sixty feet wide. The spot selected is supposed to 
be that where our Saviour was baptized ; but the Latins have another place, 
farther up ; and it is fortunate that the time and the places of bathing do not 
coincide, as in that case the terrific scenes that occur at the Holy Sepulchre 
might be renewed. There seemed to be no other place, very near this, where 
the people could go into the water without the risk of being carried away by 
the stream ; and even here there is danger, and last year, on a similar occasion, 
four persons were drowned. Men and women bathed in the river, and children 
were carried in to be washed in the Jordan. But the greater portion were spec- 
tators, being intimidated by the violence of the rushing stream. Every thing 
was managed with great propriety and even order, considering the immense 
multitude and the shortness of the time. We went a little distance up the banks 
and bathed in the Jordan. Thus in two successive days we have bathed in the 
river Jordan and in the Salt or Dead Sea. We have cut a few willow sticks 
from the banks of the former, and have taken cans of water from both to bring 
home. 

It was probably near this part of the river that the separation of the waters 
took place, mentioned in the book of Joshua iii. 16 ; preceded by the description 
which shows that the miracle cannot be assigned to the unusual shallowness of 
the water, or to a common ford ; ' for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the 
time of harvest. ' It was at this period when the river was most swollen, \ that 
the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon a heap very far 
from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan : and those that came down towards 
the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off : and the people 
passed over right against Jericho.' 

In this vicinity, also, Elijah smote and divided the waters. We returned 
from the river to the probable site of Jericho, though several places have been 
assigned to that city, all however in this region. There seems to be great doubt 



HEALING THE WATEES OF JERICHO. 



121 



as to the exact locality, so that even the place where this famous city stood of 
old is unknown. The imprecation of Joshua was fulfilled : 1 Cursed be the man 
before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho : he shall lay the 
foundation thereof in his first-born, and in his youngest son shall he set up the 
gates of it.' (Joshua vi. 26.) Notwithstanding this fearful malediction, Hiel the 
Bethelite built Jericho again, in the reign of Ahab ; but ' he laid the founda- 
tion thereof in Abiram his first-born, and set up the gates thereof in his 
youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by 
Joshua the son of Nun.' (1 Kings xvi. 34.) And now it is utterly destroyed ; 
for it is not probable that the Mohammedan village Eihhah, containing about 
fifty mean dwellings, even stands upon the site of ancient Jericho. — There are 
said to be hewn stones and ruins in several places in the neighborhood, but none 
of them can be referred to the ancient city. Nor are there any traces remaining 
of Grilgal. As there is but one fountain in the vicinity, which pours its waters 
over the plain, and irrigates the only fertile part of it, it is probably the same 
which is spoken of in 2 Kings ii. 19, 20, 21, 22, 1 And the men of the city said 
unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my 
lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren. And he said, 
Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. And 
he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, 
Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters ; there shall not be from thence 
any more death or barren land. So the waters were healed unto this day.' "We 
went to this fountain, or 1 spring of the waters,' which is about two miles from 
the village, and is situated on the side of the mountain. It still pours forth a 
large stream of clear and refreshing water, which fertilizes the fields below, 
being carried thither by many little streams or aqueducts. The sides of the 
mountain are filled with grottoes and old tombs, which, together with the stream 
and the ruins upon the plain, may go far to convince us that we are near ancient 
Jericho, 'the city of palm-trees,' of which the early historians speak with so 
much delight and admiration. One of them says, " It is a valley like a garden, 
which is environed with continual hills, and, as it were, inclosed with a wall. 
The space of the valley containeth 200,000 acres, and it is called Jericho. In 



122 



THE CUESE UPON JERICHO. 



that valley there is a wood, as admirable for its fruitfulness as for its delight ; 
for it is intermingled with palm-trees and opobalsamum. The trees of the 
opobalsamum bear a resemblance to fir-trees. On a set season of the year they 
do " sweat balsam." But, alas ! the palm-trees, the balsam and the fruitfulness, or 
at least the cultivation, have departed ; for although the country is covered with 
verdure for some distance below and around this fertilizing fountain and the 
streams which flow from it, yet the indolence of the inhabitants, who are still 
proverbial for their vices, has suffered even the fertile parts of the plain to be 
occupied with thorns and useless shrubs. 

How different the scene once presented here, and what recollections does this 
interesting region evoke from the past! Upon those mountains beyond the 
river on the east side of Jordan, Moses once stood and surveyed the promised 
land which he might not enter. Upon the opposite bank the warlike successor 
of Moses marshalled the people, bidding the priests of the Lord go over with 
the ark of the covenant ; and Jordan was stayed, while two millions of the 
children of Israel passed dry-shod into the good land promised to their fathers. — 
Prophets of Grod had power given them to smite the rivers, 'and they were 
divided hither and thither ;' to change the fountains of bitterness and death into 
streams of life and fertility. Upon this plain stood the walls of a wealthy and 
a warlike city, frowning defiance to a host of besieging men, and then, by the 
power of God, falling down at the sound of their trumpets, ' so that the people 
went up into the city, every man straight before him.' These fields, once so 
fruitful, fed their thousands and tens of thousands, and the happy and prosperous 
inhabitants sat here amid their groves of balsam, and under the shadow of the 
palm-trees. All is departed. Jericho is no more! the curse is upon her 
still! 

"With a feeling akin to melancholy we averted our eyes and prepared for our 
return to the Holy City. The plain of the Jordan being nearly three thousand 
feet lower than Jerusalem, the way led us up steep hills, for a considerable dis- 
tance. They were utterly bare of all vegetation, composed of rocks and sterile 
soil, and well suited to the tradition which affirms them to be the scene of our 
Lord's Temptation. We met many of the Mussulmans on their return from the 



VALLEY OF BEPTTATM EACHEL's DEATH. 



123 



tomb of the Prophet Moses, and indeed during the whole period of our stay in 
Jerusalem, large numbers of them were constantly passing and repassing upon 
this mendacious pilgrimage. We reached Jerusalem at 4 P. M., having been on 
horseback nearly thirteen hours, besides the journey of the day before, but 
amply repaid for our great fatigue by an excursion of the deepest interest and 
most fruitful in reminiscences. 



EXCURSION FROM JERUSALEM TO BETHLEHEM. 

Wednesday, April 11th. — TTe set out in the morning to go to that little city 
so dear to the heart of every Christian, where our Lord was manifest in the 
flesh. Leaving Jerusalem by the Jaffa or Bethlehem gate, we took the road 
which leads across the Plain of Bephaim, or as it is called in the Scripture, the 
Yalley of Bephaim, or of the Giants ; the scene of so many of the battles 
between David and the Philistines. The road, for the most part, is over a suc- 
cession of dry and barren hills, interspersed with valleys that give some signs 
of fruitfolness, while goats hang upon the sides of the rocks and obtain from 
them the scanty subsistence which they require. There are many traditions 
upon this road which arrest a momentary attention, and some which attract the 
heart and arouse a deeper feeling. Among those which are doubtful we may 
place that of the village where the Prophet Joel is said to have lived, the ruins 
of the house of Simeon nearer to Jerusalem, and the tree under whose shade the 
Virgin Mother rested with the infant Jesus, when about to present Him in the 
temple ! We fear the fountain at which the wise men were waiting when they 
saw the star must be placed in the same class. 

But far more credit is due to the constant tradition which points out the site 
of Rachel's burial ; though the early monument that marked the place, has long 
since disappeared under a Muslim tomb. With this interesting spot are con- 
nected associations of the most affecting character. Here one of the mothers of 
the children of Israel died, after the birth of the ' Son of her Sorrow,' whom 
his father called by the more auspicious name of Bfmjamin. In after years, and 



124 



rachel's tomb — eamah. 



just before his own death, when he was far away from her grave, and in the land 
of Egypt, he recalls the circumstances of her departure : £ And as for me, when 
I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when 
yet there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath ; and I buried her there in 
the way of Ephrath ; the same is Bethlehem.' (Gen. xlviii. 7.) The Patriarch, who 
was thus so sadly and suddenly , bereaved of her whom he best loved, had set up 
a monument upon this very spot which we now contemplate : 4 And Jacob set a 
pillar upon her grave : that is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day.' (xxxv. 
20.) Not far distant is a village, supposed to be upon the site of the ancient 
Ramah, which, as its name signifies, must have been seated high up among the 
hills. Here were once heard the lamentation and great mourning when Rachel 
wept for her children and refused to be comforted ! How might Ramah, in after 
times, have again heard the voice of lamentation, had it foreseen the woes of the 
children of Rachel because they rejected Him for whose sake the blood of her 
unconscious Innocents was then shed ! 

The situation of the village, which occupies the probable site of the ancient 
Ramah, upon a high and prominent point in the mountain scenery of this solitary 
region, and its associations, render it an object of interest at a distance. Gibeah, 
also, must have been in this neighborhood, as appears by the relation in the book 
of Judges (xix) ; for when the day drew 1 toward evening ' the Levite and his 
company rose to depart from Bethlehem, and when they ' came over against 
Jebus, which is Jerusalem,' they would not rest there, because it was then a { city 
of the Jebusites ;' so the Levite £ said to his servant, Come, and let us draw near 
to one of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah.' As we ap- 
proached Bethlehem the valleys grew more fertile, and the hills were covered 
by small groves of olives, with a few vineyards. The little city, which contains 
about three thousand inhabitants, who are chiefly Christians, is beautifully 
situated upon an eminence. The sides of the hills are cultivated, according to 
the ancient manner, in terraces, which support the olive-trees and the vineyards. 
Altogether the scene was very scriptural in its character ; for the wine-presses 
were here, and the towers built to shelter those who watch the vineyards. 



BETHLEHEM, 



But thou, Beth-ieliem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, 
vet out of thee shall He come forth unto me that is to "be Ruler in Israel; whose goings forth 
have been from of old, from everlasting. — Micah v. 2. 

Upon the side of yonder hill, then, -which rises out of the midst of a fruitful 
valley, is set that little ' city which cannot be hid ' from the eyes of the Christian 
traveller, nor shut out from the heart of the Christian world. At the distance 
from Jerusalem of twenty stadia, according to Josephus, or two hours by the 
computation of Eastern journeys, or six miles by our measurement, we now look 
upon the very place where the most stupendous event in the annals of the world 
took place. Before we enter the gates, let us pause with affectionate reverence, 
and say to ourselves. This is Bethlehem ! Here was 1 God manifest in the flesh !' 

2s~o wonder that this little city was named Ephrath, the fruitful ; for it has 
teemed with Life for the sons of men ; that it should be called Beth-lehem, the 
'house of bread;' for the valley that lies before you has yielded in abundance 
not only the bread that perisheth. but hither that Bread of Life came down from 
Heaven, the manna of God, of which if a man eat he shall hunger no more. 
'Not let us forget that it was also named the 1 house of war for here began that 
battle so mighty and sublime, under a captain of our salvation so powerful and 
glorious, ending in the victory so illustrious over sin, death and hell, that all 
mortal warfare, leaders and conquests, sink before them into puny insignificance. 
It was the great war of the weakness of God against the strength of the world. 
Therefore God chose the village, on that hill, because it was little among the 
thousands of Judah. Great and glorious Borne, the mistress of the earth, was 
passed by; Athens, the school of the world, was rejected; Jerusalem herself, 
the holy city, was counted too honorable for the honor ; these, and a host of 
memorable cities, that you and I, in our wisdom, would have selected, were cast 
out. since God hath made foolish the wisdom of this world. It pleased Him 
that Bethlehem, so little, should no more be least among the thousands of 
Judah. because God by the weak hath confounded the mighty. While man 



126 



THE VALLEY OF THE SHEPHEEDS. 



exclaims, strength against strength, wisdom to overcome the wise, greatness to 
vanquish the great, the answer of Grod is, I cannot save Israel by these ; ' the 
people are too many for me ;' let the weak, the foolish and the little be set in 
array against the mighty, the prudent and the great : for the battle is not man's 
but the Lord's. Therefore out of this mean and despised Bethlehem shall come 
forth the light of the Gentiles and the glory of Israel. 

About a mile eastward from the city of David is a green valley, a lovely 
spot. Here were the shepherds abiding in the fields and keeping watch over 
their flocks by night. And the glory of the Lord shone round about the lowly 
shepherds ; for not many mighty, not many noble were called to the honor. It 
was a stripling of the shepherds who was born in the house of ' that Ephrathite 
of Bethlehem- Judah,' and called to the throne, as the Anointed of Grod; and in 
the same place, but under circumstances meaner still, according to that which 
the world accounts meanness, was born the Grood Shepherd, who is nevertheless 
the King of all princes and the Lord of all thrones. 

How then can we regard this humble village, lowly in itself and once 
despised of men, and hallowed only by the pious thoughts and the veneration 
of after ages, without being deeply penetrated with the reflection that His ways 
are not as our ways, nor His thoughts as our thoughts ? Grod looked forth upon 
the earth to see where He might find for Himself in the flesh a fitting habitation. 
And he saw that the earth was full of pride and vainglory, of ostentation and 
pomp. That pride which had cost no less a price than heaven to the fallen 
angels, and which had purchased expulsion from Paradise to fallen man, was still 
every where triumphant ; and the dominion of the Eoman iron, hardened by 
conquest, held, in all places, the upper hand. The lost spirits in hell, the 
angels who kept their first estate, and the inhabiters of earth, needed a lesson ; a 
new door was opened in heaven, and a Teacher came hither, a Messenger, a 
Euler, a Conqueror, and a King. — No lessons of worldly wisdom should distil 
from the hps of Him ; for ' never man spake like this man.' No new philoso- 
phy, after the world's way, should He bring to the earth ; for Grod had given 
already to the philosophers of the world forty centuries to fail in, and nothing 
was now the whole sum of their accomplishments. A little more wisdom to 



DAVID EUTH. 



127 



the old foolishness had been folly indeed ! Let the world, then, and the world's 
way be overturned ! Let the stone cut out of the mountain without hands smite 
the image, and break in pieces the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver and the 
gold, and scatter them like the chaff of the summer threshing floors. Therefore 
a conquered province, an obscure corner of the earth, a nation that had won 
few trophies in the world's wars, little part in the world's glory, and no name in 
the world's learning, was chosen, and Palestine was taken. And since among 
the thousands of Judah, yonder little village was the least, it suited God's 
purposes well, and Bethlehem was taken. 

But Bethlehem had already been honored. In that valley which we now 
see before us, beneath the same sky which still burns with a painful intensity 
of brightness, or under the cool shade of the same moon which yet shines 
calmly on, unconscious of the world's changes, a stripling shepherd kept those 
few sheep in the wilderness. There, long before the blind old man of Scio 
had struck the harp, whose echoes should fill after ages with the sweetness of 
melody, that shepherd boy watched his flocks, looked up to heaven and attuned 
his soul to a more celestial harmony. Hence he sallied forth and delivered the 
lamb out of the paw of the lion and the bear, and prepared his spirit for nobler 
contests. From these fields he went up to the camp, and in the strength of the 
Lord God prevailed over the champion of the Philistines, in the valley of Elah, 
with a sling and a stone, that all that assembly and all the world might know 
that the Lord saveth not with sword and with spear. 

The prospect before us is indeed beautiful ; but how is it illustrated and 
ennobled by the thoughts which come unbidden, and gather themselves toge- 
ther, and cluster with lingering fondness around these sacred places. In the 
light of the early morning, and in some of these fertile fields which our pilgrim 
feet are permitted to traverse, we can almost fancy that we see the tender and 
affectionate form of that beautiful Moabitish damsel who clave unto her mother- 
in-law. With what a glory does she seem inhallowed, going forth a timid, a 
solitary, and almost a sorrowful gleaner, when we remember that we behold in 
her the illustrious ancestress of the Lord ! In which of these fields did the 
reapers, according to their master's commandment, let fall some handfuls of 



128 



THE WELL AT BETHLEHEM. 



purpose for beautiful Euth, and which way out of Bethlehem came Boaz, when 
he met his reapers with the pious salutation, the Lord be with you. And they 
answered him, the Lord bless thee. We can almost imagine that this was the 
gate to which Boaz went up when he called aside the kinsman of Naomi, and 
that here rose up the elders and pronounced the touching and simple benedic- 
tion, ' The Lord make the woman that is come into thine house, like Bachel 
and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel : and do thou worthily 
in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem V 

Standing upon a spot like this, the most common actions and events in life, 
offer us some image or vivid picture from the pages of our holy books, or 
some striking feature in the life of the ancestors of our blessed Lord. Yonder 
are the maidens, like Bebekah, with the pitchers upon their shoulders or heads. 
Who can drink even a cup of cold water near the gate of Bethlehem, without 
being reminded of the now aged king, harassed by the Philistines who had 
their garrison in Bethlehem, and oppressed by the cares and the sorrows of 
state ? When he looked forth from the cave of Adullam, whither he had fled 
for refuge, he yearned for the freedom of his youth, while he yet wandered 
with his flocks, a happy shepherd boy upon these hills, and guarding his own 
sheep from harm, felt that he too was not without a protector, ' The Lord is my 
shepherd : I shall not want.' Those happy days were past. The boy was an 
old man ; the free shepherd was a perplexed king. Home-sickness comes over 
his spirit, and he bitterly feels that kingly power had not availed to prevent a 
melancholy banishment from the joyous scenes of his youth. In the midst of 
his royalties he can pine for a cup of cold water from Bethlehem : 1 And David 
longed, and said, Oh, that one would give me drink of the water of the well 
of Bethlehem which is by the gate !' How precious to the crowned king was 
the cool fountain which the simple shepherd-boy had once but lightly esteemed ! 
How pathetic and sublime the conclusion ! 1 And the three mighty men brake 
through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethle- 
hem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David : nevertheless 
he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the Lord. And he said, 
be it far from me, Lord ! that I should do this : is not this the blood of the 



JOUENEY OF THE HOLY FAMILY TO JEETJSALEM. 129 

men that went in jeopardy of their lives ?' The names of Boaz and Birth, of 
Obed and Jesse, and David the king, had been sufficient to render Bethlehem 
illustrious, until there was added, greater than all, that one event which makes 
the name dear to every Christian, — the fulfilment of .the prophecy, 1 Unto us 
a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.' Over the same road by which we 
came hither and by which we returned to Jerusalem, went once a little com- 
pany that made it for ever after a holy pilgrimage. Some weeks had now 
passed away since the advent of the wonderful stranger, and the emotions which 
at first were confined to humble shepherds and a mother's bosom, had now been 
shared by distant magi, and the harmless child had already excited the suspi- 
cions, though he had not yet aroused the wrath of the jealous king. In order 
to fulfil the requirements of the law of the land, which is the law of God, he 
must be presented in the temple, and the customary offering made by his 
mother. Of how little esteem in the eyes of their countrymen was the humble 
band which was then about to set forth from this village ! It is but a small 
offering that they can lay upon the altar of God ; for that handmaid of the 
Lord who was blessed among women, could bring out of the storehouse of her 
poverty, not a lamb, but only 1 a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.' 
The pomp and parade which attends the christening of earthly princes, is all 
absent from the presentation in the temple of the King of princes ! A faithful 
and patient animal is their only companion and their only servant upon the 
devout pilgrimage. "With quiet cheerfulness, but in silence and obscurity, 
they pass through the narrow streets of Bethlehem ; emerging from the gate, 
and passing perhaps the very spot which we now occupy, they took this well- 
known bridle-path which leads to Jerusalem. Methinks the fruitful fields 
should have put on new robes of gladness in His presence, and that the vine, 
and the olive-trees, and the fig-trees of Bethlehem, should have been glad 
to bring the first-offering of their wine, their fatness, and their sweetness to their 
Creator as He passed by ! But alas ! the world was unconscious of her God ! 
In silent faithfulness they pursue their journey, his mother 'treasuring all 
these things in her heart.' Beyond are the mountains of Moab, and all around 
the beautiful hills amid which Bethlehem is seated. In scenes like these 

17 



130 



CONVENT AT BETHLEHEM. 



which we are permitted this day to look upon, and perhaps by the tomb of that 
beautiful mother of Israel, sits down to rest the virgin form of the mother of 
Him who brought spiritual blessings to the nations. For now was the great 
promise to Abraham fulfilled. Not to thy posterity alone shall the great 
benefit be confined, but thou shalt be the Father of all the faithful, and £ in 
thee shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.' Did such pious and elevating 
thoughts of Divine goodness swell with joy the bosom of that tender mother, 
and give new elasticity to her step as she went over the northern hills towards 
Jerusalem, ever onward upon her faithful way ? Let us then imitate this holy 
example, and press forward undiscouraged by the difficulties of the journey, 
towards that heavenly Jerusalem whither Joseph and Mary and the young 
child are gone up before us ! 

"We reached Bethlehem by a rising path over the high ground that to the 
south-west bounds the valley where the shepherds fed their flocks. Passing 
through the length of the village, we came to an extensive pile of buildings which 
rest upon a part of the hill jutting out towards the east. This is the Convent 
of the Nativity and the Church of St. Mary. The buildings are divided into 
three portions, assigned respectively to the Greek, Latin and Armenian Christians ; 
who, though living in separate communities, have at appointed times, the right to 
worship at the holy places. The entrance to these and the Church is remarkable, 
and shews in a most expressive manner, the conditions upon which the Christains 
have retained their footing in the venerated spots of the Holy Land. The door 
is exceedingly thick and strong, and stands in an archway of stone so low and 
narrow that only one person can enter at a time, and that, by stooping and 
actually squeezing himself through. In fact, the whole of the immense pile, 
built of enormous blocks of stone, bears the appearance of a prison, or some 
warlike fortress, rather than a Church of Christ and a Convent of peaceful and 
inoffensive Monks. This narrow and jealous entrance formed for protection 
against the Arabs and other spoilers, leads into a spacious vestibule, which 
introduces you into a majestic Church, built in the shape of a Latin Cross, the 
nave and the side aisles being formed by forty-eight superb columns, in four 
rows of beautiful marble, and of the Corinthian order. Though of proportions 



THE CHUECH OF ST. MARY. 



131 



so majestic, its general aspect is otherwise plain and unadorned; but the 
ornamented ceiling, which in places has escaped the ravages of time and barba- 
rism, indicates its high claims to antiquity and beauty. Near the altar of the 
Magi, directly over the Grotto of the Nativity, and -under that point in the 
heavens where the celestial guide which appeared to the wise men is said to 
have stood still, is the figure of a star in the marble pavement. There can be 
no reasonable doubt that this Church is built over the place of the Nativity ; for 
not only is this opinion supported by early, constant and universal consent, but 
we are informed, as a matter of history, that Adrian, in the second century, 
destroyed a little Church, in order to desecrate the spot by a temple and statue 
of Adonis. Milton, in the first book of the Paradise Lost, has alluded to this 
worship of Thammuz which ''infected Zion's daughters." This Church, like 
many others throughout the Holy Land, was built by the munificence and 
adorned by the piety of the empress Helena, who, in the fourth century ordered 
the idol to be destroyed and his worship discontinued, consecrating the sacred 
site once more by dedicating the Church to the Mother of Jesus. Adjoining 
this is the smaller but more richly ornamented Church of St. Catharine, from 
which a narrow winding flight of marble steps leads to a succession of chapels 
and altars, at the birth place, the manger, and the sepulchre of the Holy Inno- 
cents. Here too are the tombs of Eusebius and the venerable Jerome. It is 
well known that the latter spent many years of his life in this hermit-like retire- 
ment, and here he performed that great service for the Church, the translation 
of the Original Scriptures into the Latin language. As the place where St. 
Jerome lived, in the fifth century, could scarcely be forgotten, it is certain that 
his cave was here. This leads us to notice the manner in which all the holy 
places, once in the sides of the hills, — as for example the cave of the manger, — 
now appear to be subterranean. The Church and the Convent have been built 
over them, from the level of the top of the rock, for the purpose of protection. 

Upon reaching the foot of the winding stairway, you pass the altar under 
which you are shown the alleged burial-place of the Holy Innocents. Thence 
you proceed to the Chapel of the Nativity, some forty feet in length, and from 
nine to eleven in height and width. Shut out from the light of day, it is bril- 



132 



CHAPEL OF THE NATIVITY. 



liantly illuminated by more than thirty beautiful silver lamps, which are hung 
around, and never suffered to go out. The floor is inlaid with precious marbles ; 
at the east end is the place where the Saviour of the world was born, marked by 
a slab of white marble in the pavement, set around with jasper ; and in the 
centre is a silver sun, surrounded by the following inscription, 

Hie de Yiegine Maria Jesus Christus natus est. 

Over this is a marble table, supported by two columns, which is used as an 
altar, and from the ceiling depend sixteen silver lamps, pouring a flood of light 
upon this end of the chapel. 

Within a short distance is the recess of the Manger, where the new-born 
Saviour was laid. This is also of marble, raised about a foot above the floor, 
and is illuminated with equal brilliancy. The original rock, in this large recess, 
is covered with splendid draperies embroidered in gold and silver with roses and 
other flowers ; and in the centre is a beautiful picture of the adoration of the 
shepherds. 

The crowd of pilgrims in this chapel was so great and the heat so oppressive, 
that we could not give ourselves up to those thoughts which the sacred locality 
would naturally inspire. We, therefore, soon left the hallowed spot, and 
ascended to the top of the convent to enjoy the fresh air and the beautiful pros- 
pect around Bethlehem. Beneath us lay the fertile valley embosomed among 
the hills, and as we looked towards the north in the direction of Jerusalem, we 
had upon our right the mountains of En-gedi rising above the Dead Sea. 

We now hastened our return to Jerusalem, in order that we might reach the 
city before the gates were closed at sunset. 

Thursday, April 12th. — While at Bethlehem we had intended to visit the 
pools of Solomon, which are a few miles beyond, on the road to Hebron. This 
purpose we were to-day enabled to accomplish. Our host, Mr. Mooshallum, a 
converted Jew, and a person of great respectability, who has arranged a house 
in Jerusalem for the accommodation of travellers, offered to be our guide. The 
road towards Bethlehem, as far as the Greek convent of Elijah, was the same as 
that of yesterday. The convent is on an eminence, upon the left hand, com- 



f 



THE POOLS OF SOLOMON. 



133 



manding an extensive prospect. We turned aside for a moment to see it, and 
were shown the only relic belonging to this religions establishment, namely, a 
stone near the monastery overshadowed by a wide-spreading tree. This stone, 
according to the monkish tradition, was the bed of the prophet ! 

We now left the usual road to Bethlehem, and took a right-hand path 
directly by the small dome-covered Mohammedan Oratory, erected over the spot 
already described as the site of Eachel's tomb. Three miles more of a very 
rough road brought us to the remarkable objects of our visit, when we were indeed 
amply repaid for our uncomfortable ride. Here, in a secluded valley, sur- 
rounded by hills, were the pools which Solomon constructed for the purpose of 
supplying Jerusalem and his intervening gardens with water. The reservoirs 
are three in number, one rising above the other, so that the overflow falls into 
the lowest, and from that an aqueduct, running along the sides of the hills, 
though in a ruinous state, still conveys water to the city. They are respectively 
about six hundred, four hundred and fifty, and four hundred feet in length, and 
about two hundred or two hundred and fifty in breadth, being in many 
places hewn out of the solid rock. In others, when the falling of the ground 
reqiiires it, they are supported by strong buttresses. The whole is built very 
substantially, and lined with an internal coating of cement. There are several 
flights of stone steps leading to the bottom, for the purpose probably of cleaning 
out the sediment. 

We have seen nothing in the Holy Land having any reasonable claim to high 
antiquity, so remarkable as these structures. The excavations, without the aid 
of gunpowder, must have cost an immensity of labor. If they are indeed the 
work of Solomon, and we saw no reason for doubt, it was not a mere boast when 
he said ' I made me great works ; I builded me houses ; I planted me vineyards ; 
I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit. 
I made me pools of water to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees.' 
Near the upper pool is an extensive stone building, the site so pleasant amongst 
the hills, and looking down upon the pools, that its foundations might well 
belong to one of the many houses of the luxurious king ; but the character of the 
present superstructure, though very ancient, is Saracenic, and was probably a 



134 



THE GAKDENS OF SOLOMON. 



fortress to protect these important fountains. But whether we were near an 
ancient country-seat of Solomon or not, our ride certainly led through a beau- 
tiful valley which tradition speaks of as one of the king's gardens It is now 
cultivated by our worthy host as a farm. Had we indulged any doubt as to the 
ancient fertility of the Promised Land, what we here saw was well calculated to 
remove it. The valley was narrow, winding, and highly picturesque : the hill- 
sides precipitous but clothed with crops of various kinds growing with extreme 
luxuriance. Fruit trees also were there in abundance loaded with blossoms of 
promise. We saw no cause to doubt that with equal care in cultivating, irriga- 
ting, and terracing the hills, the whole country might be again one of great 
abundance. The obvious reason for its barren state is found in the character of 
the population, and the oppression, and save in the matter of taxes and imports, 
the indolent conduct of the government. Great as was the prospect of an abun- 
dant return to our host from his fields and orchards, it was by no means certain 
that he would gather in his harvests, or enjoy the fruit of his labors; for the 
superintendent of the farm, when he appeared, was armed with gun and sword, 
a necessary precaution against the plundering Arabs. Had our sober host been 
an admirer of the Mantuan, he might have exclaimed, as he showed us the 
necessity for armed laborers : 

Impius haec tarn culta novalia miles habebit 1 
Barbaras has segetes % en qu6 discordia cives 
Perduxit miseros ! en queis consevimus agros ! 

On our return we passed through Bethlehem again, approaching it upon the 
side opposite to our former entrance. The principal employment of the 
inhabitants is the manufacture of the shell of the pearl oyster into crucifixes 
and other ornaments, largely purchased by pilgrims, and looked upon by them 
with a superstitious reverence. Some of these trinkets are quite pretty. The 
surface of the shell is smoothed, and carved with designs from Scripture history, 
e. g. the Annunciation, the Nativity, the Yisit of the Magi, the Flight into 
Egypt, and the Last Supper. 

The afternoon we devoted to the Mosque of Omar. Admittance to it, or 



MOSQUE OF OMAE. 



135 



even to the beautiful enclosure in which it stands, was indeed impossible ; but 
by the kind intervention of the British Consul, to whose ready services and 
attentions we had before been indebted, we obtained, in company with our 
English friends, an order for admission to the Governor's palace : the building, 
as I have before mentioned, being on the supposed site of the residence of Pontius 
Pilate. Its rear walls forming part of the line of the enclosed space that 
surrounds the Mosque, its roof affords a commanding view of the noble building 
and of the whole area, which is about fifteen hundred feet in length, by about one 
thousand in breadth. A single view embraced its numerous places of prayer, 
its shady trees, and the line of cloistered buildings on the western boundary, 
containing schools for boys, and the habitations of the Dervishes and Santons of 
the Mosque. We had before contemplated this spot, held in the highest rever- 
ence by the Muslim, from the Mount of Olives ; and a nearer examination did 
not diminish our impressions of its matchless beauty. "We were told that on the 
southwest boundary of this great area, there were no less than five mosques, 
but the only one that appeared worthy of notice is called El Aksa. This we 
looked upon with peculiar interest, as there is little doubt that it was once a Chris- 
tian Church, built by the Emperor Justinian, and named the Church of the Purifica- 
tion or Presentation. Shall it ever again be itself purified ? Shall they who now 
exclude the followers of Christ, with a rigorous jealousy, be themselves one day 
presented to receive, from the mystical fountain, the Christian waters of purifica- 
tion ? Such, at least, was our prayer, while we looked upon the deluded 
devotees of a false religion. 

We this day bade farewell to the Bishop of Jerusalem, Dr. Gobat, who had 
extended frequent civilities to us during our brief sojourn in the Holy City, and 
to the Rev. Mr. Nicolayson and his amiable family. Here we obtained much 
valuable information to guide us in our future pilgrimage. Many are the hin- 
drances which these zealous and faithful missionaries find in the prosecution of 
their Christian enterprise, but they do not suffer themselves to be discouraged. 
Some progress has certainly been made, and the establishment of a Church upon 
Mount Zion, where Divine worship is celebrated in the morning in Hebrew and 
English, and in the evening in German, has given us, we hope and trust, a sure 



136 



FAEEWELL VISITS. 



foothold for the Keformed Faith. It is not many years since we were exposed, 
and justly, to this taunt. "Extraordinary circumstance! the Catholics, the 
Greeks, the Armenians who inhabit Lebanon, in short, all the Christian nations 
have at Jerusalem representatives, whose voices are incessantly rising with 
incense towards that God who sacrificed His only Son to save the world. One 
single voice does not there murmur the name of Jesus Christ ! It is that of the 
Protestant I" This injurious charge we can now repel, and we express devout 
gratitude for the privilege vouchsafed to us of celebrating, in the well-known 
and fondly-cherished language of our Mother Church, and within the distance 
of ten minutes' walk from the scene of their occurrence, the death and resur- 
rection of our adorable Eedeemer. Yea, we have celebrated these events in the 
midst of thee, Jerusalem, and upon thy sacred Hill, Zion. 

Friday, April 13th. — We rose with the strong impression upon our minds 
that this was to be our last day in J erusalem, and resolved to devote the whole 
of it to a circuit around the walls, and farewell visits to all those places which 
possess the deepest interest. I feel that an excursion so interesting to us cannot 
be without some attractions for you, and will therefore endeavor to give you a 
brief account of its chief events. 

Jerusalem, as we have seen, stands upon a lofty promontory, surrounded, ac- 
cording to the Psalmist, by higher hills on every side except the northwest. The 
valleys between, save in this one place, separate it from the neighboring hills. We 
will go out by the J affa gate, where the road leads us a short distance towards 
Emmaus ; we leave the upper pool of Gihon on the left hand, when the next 
objects of interest are the site of the first Camp of Titus, and the ruins of the 
ancient walls and towers of the city. Amid groves of olives the way leads 
towards the Damascus gate, beyond which is the cave of the prophet Jeremiah, 
where it is said he composed his Lamentations. It lies upon the north, not far 
from the gate, and on the way to the prophet's native village Anathoth. The 
valley of the Kedron, or of Jehoshaphat, called also the King's Dale, commences 
a little farther on, and the descent is very slight during the first mile. The 
valley then bends suddenly to the south, and, with a much more rapid declivity, 
continues in that direction for about two miles, till between the city and the 



king david's ascent of olivet. 



137 



Mount of Olives it becomes a very deep glen. The course of the Kedron 
presents, as we have seen, the appearance of the dry bed of a mountain torrent. 
The upper part of the valley is full of dens and caves, one of which is said to 
be the burial-place of Simon the Just ; but we did not visit it. Two roads here 
cross the vale, one leading to Bethel, and the other to Anathoth, but these are 
simply bridle paths. Indeed, as there is no wheeled vehicle in Jerusalem or its 
neighborhood, so we saw no road over which such a carriage could pass with 
safety. The Tombs of the Kings are here, and interesting and beautiful as their 
ruins might be, we could not but contrast them with the far more splendid and 
extensive monuments that we had recently visited at Thebes and Beni-Hassan. 
This part of the valley teems with sacred associations ; and no one can stand 
here without recalling the affecting circumstances of David's flight from Absa- 
lom. 1 And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed 
over : the king also himself passed over the brook Kedron, and all the people 
passed over, toward the way of the wilderness. , 1 And David went up by the 
ascent of Mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and 
he went barefoot : and all the people that was with him covered every man his 
head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.' (2 Samuel xv. 23, 30.) Of 
this scene a celebrated traveller paints an animated description : " Every won- 
derful association of natural and of artificial features, of landscape and of 
architecture, of splendid and diversified costume, of sacred pomp, and of une- 
qualled pathos, dignifies the scene : here a solemn train of mourners ; there the 
seers, the guardians and companions of the ark ; men, women, children, warriors, 
statesmen, citizens, priests, Levites, counsellors; — with all the circumstances of 
grandeur displayed by surrounding objects ; by the waters of the torrent ; by 
the sepulchres of the valley; by the lofty rocks, the towers, bulwarks, and 
palaces of Sion ; by the magnificent perspective on every side ; by the bold 
declivities and lofty summits of Mount Olivet; and, finally, by the concentration 
of all that is great and striking in the central group, distinguished by the 
presence of the afflicted sovereign." 

We passed St. Stephen's gate, and the place of the protomartyr's death, now 
familiar to you ; and, descending into the valley, we cross again the one-arched 

18 



138 



INCIDENTS ON OLIVET. 



bridge that spans the bed of the Kedron. Beyond the bridge on the left hand 
is a square, flat-roofed edifice, of no great external pretensions, called the Tomb 
of the Virgin. "Within, a noble flight of fifty steps, cut out of the solid rock, 
leads to a number of chapels, in some of which is celebrated a daily service. 
There is a delicious spring of water at the foot of the steps. 

"We now ascended the Mount of Olives for the last time, looking a sad 
farewell to the Garden of the divine agonies of the Son of God. From the top 
of a tower near the Church of the Ascension, on the summit of Olivet, we 
endeavored to fix in our minds a vivid impression of all the scenes I have before 
described to you : the high ground above the village of Bethany, the Dead Sea, 
the Mount of Offence, the Hill of Evil Counsel, the valleys and the hills around 
Jerusalem, in short the city itself with all its interesting localities. The western 
slope of Olivet contains many rocky cells, in one of which we found twelve 
arched vaults, where, as we were told, the Apostles met to compose the articles 
of the Creed I Another, which had, perhaps, scarcely a stronger claim on our 
faith, was a grotto, with a circular hall, of a conical shape, full of chambers and 
niches, and called the Sepulchre of the Prophets. 

We here met with those English friends, a gentleman and lady, whom we 
had seen in Cairo, and often at Jerusalem. As we had been favored with a sight 
of some excellent sketches of scenes in Egypt, we were much pleased to find the 
lady sitting under the shade of a magnificent old olive-tree, and finishing a pic- 
ture of Jerusalem, which, from the point of view chosen and the fidelity of the 
artist, struck us as being the best that we had ever seen of the Holy City. 
While the lady was thus employed, we found her husband, at a short distance, 
chaffering with an Arab for a dry bough from a small grove of olive-trees ; and 
joined him in the purchase, that we might be quite sure that our branch of the 
tree was really brought from the sacred Mount of Olives. 

A southern limb of Olivet is the Mount of Offence, where Solomon built a 
high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, and where tradition says 
the traitor Judas hanged himself. Still farther to the south is the Hill of Evil 
Counsel ; on its summit there are extensive ruins, said to belong to the country- 
house of Caiaphas, where the Chief Priests, scribes and elders consulted to take 
Jesus and put Him to death. 



VALLEYS OF JEHOSHAPHAT AND HINNOM. 



139 



Descending into the valley, the slope of the hill, on the side most distant 
from Jerusalem, is filled with graves covered with flat stones. Higher up are 
some of the most ancient monuments, and among them is that of Jehoshaphat, 
whose name the valley bears. It is cut in the rock behind the more remarkable 
pillar of Absalom. This cone-shaped and lofty monument is adorned with 
Ionic pilasters. It is a singular fact that the Jews still throw stones at Absa- 
lom's pillar, and indeed we saw some women doing this as they passed. The 
custom, which probably has been always continued since his burial, marks out the 
spot with a great degree of certainty. How awful and lasting a monument to 
the eyes of men is the grave of this un dutiful son ! 

Beside these there is the cave of St. James, and the tomb of Zacharias, son 
of Barachias. There is a tradition that the Apostle whose name it bears, retired 
to the former and fasted until the resurrection of the Lord. A short distance 
farther on is the Well of the Yirgin, where the water is said to ebb and flow. A 
channel under ground connects it with the Pool of Siloam. Leaving, on our left 
hand, the village of Siloam, whose inhabitants, like the possessed men in the 
country of the Gergesenes, live in tombs, and have an extremely bad character, 
we descend to the Pool of Siloam by a steep flight of steps, among the remains 
of columns which show the former existence of an ornamented edifice. It is still 
the custom of pilgrims to wash their eyes at the Pool of Siloam. The next 
object of interest is the Well of Bn-rogel, called also the Well of Joab, and of 
Nehemiah, from the circumstance mentioned 2 Maccabees 1. This was the 
border mark between the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and the place where 
Adonijah held his feast and began his rebellion. 

In this vicinity the country is very fertile. The beauty of the scenery 
and its richness give some probability to the tradition, that here was one of 
Solomon's gardens. Accordingly, it still goes by the name of the King's Garden, 

We now returned, pursuing our course up the valley of the son of Hinnom, 
which lies on the south of Jerusalem. A portion of it is called in the Scriptures 
by the names of Gehenna and Tophet, where the detestable and cruel rites of 
Baal and Moloch were celebrated : 1 they have built the high places of Tophet, 
which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters 



140 



AKMENIAN CHUKCH AND CONVENT. 



in the fire.' High up, on the shelving side of the hill upon the left, is placed 
Aceldama, the Field of Blood, or ' the Potter's Field ; ' but the Kev. Mr. Mcolayson 
informed my friend that there was much doubt as to the exact situation of this 
{ field to bury strangers in.' 

By a very rapid ascent of the valley of Hinnom, we once more attain the 
summit of Mount Zion, without the gate. Thus the southern portion of Jerusa- 
lem lies in the angle formed by the two valleys of J ehoshaphat and Hinnom, 
which meet in the vicinity of the Pool of Siloam. 

Passing the tomb of David and the Coenaculum, we enter the city by the Zion 
gate. Here we observed the hovels of the lepers, as these poor creatures are 
compelled to live in this quarter. It was a pitiable sight to see them rushing 
out, as they always do on the approach of strangers, to beg for alms, which it is 
certainly not easy to refuse them. Leaving the huts of these miserable beings, 
who reside by the walls of the city, we soon come to a much more pleasing 
object ; for the convent and garden of the Armenians form a most beautiful 
portion of the city. Their Church of St. James, on the site of the martyrdom 
of that Apostle, is one of the neatest and most magnificent in Jerusalem. This 
being with them, as with all Eastern Christians, Good Friday, we found a 
large assemblage of people in the Church. Upon entering the vestibule a very 
singular sight presented itself: the floor was covered with shoes and slippers, 
and had we stopped to reflect a moment, we should have followed the example 
of the people. For afterwards, one of the more zealous of the worshippers, 
looking down and pointing to our feet with some indignation, manifested his 
sense of our supposed want of reverence for the holy place. Whereupon I 
indicated, by a motion of the hand, that my head was uncovered, and that this 
with me signified the same thing as his putting off his shoes. But under the 
same circumstances we should have expected conformity from them, and we 
ought to have regarded their custom in an indifferent matter. 

There is here a small chapel containing the shrine of the Apostle, which is 
richly adorned with mosaic work, in mother-of-pearl, and lighted by seven 
silver lamps. Upon the opposite side of the nave is a larger chapel, which 
contains three stones from Mount Sinai, the Jordan, and Mount Tabor, or the 



DEPAETUEE FEOM JEEUSALEM. 



141 



Mount of the Transfiguration. Three open places, in the wire network which 
protects them, permit the worshippers to approach each of the stones with their 
lips. The floor of the nave was covered with a rich Turkey carpet, and alto- 
gether, the appointments of the Church surpassed all we had seen at Jerusalem. 
A procession of priests, richly attired, performed a ceremonial, the significance 
of which we did not comprehend. 

"We next visited the Syrian Church of St. Mark. This building is said to 
occupy the site of the house whither St. Peter was led after his release from 
prison by the angel ; and to be the earliest place of assembly for the ancient Chris- 
tians. Our time now being nearly exhausted, we were obliged to omit several 
other places of less interest. "We saw, however, one object that had not before 
been brought to our notice, the Pool of Hezekiah, a large reservoir of water 
supposed to be the one mentioned in ' the acts ' of that king where it is said ' he 
made a pool and conduit and brought water into the city.' We could not 
leave the city without paying a final visit to the Holy Sepulchre ; and although 
the service was over, the portion of the Church allotted to the Greeks was 
filled with people. ISTo contrast could be greater than that between the Arme- 
nian Church which we had just left, and the apparent want of reverence, the 
disorder and confusion which reigned here. Women sitting around nursing 
their infants ; children running about the floor, which was covered with orange- 
peel and fragments of food ; men talking and laughing — in short, it was rather 
like a market-place than a church. We were glad to escape as quickly as 
possible from such a scene. 



DEPARTURE FROM JERUSALEM. — FAREWELL. 

April 14th. — Going out of the Damascus gate, we turned our faces, not without 
sorrow, towards the north, and wound slowly down the hill, crossing the upper 
part of the valley of Jehoshaphat, with Olivet, so sacred in our affections, upon 
the right hand somewhat behind us. A rough, rocky way, over a succession 
of high grounds and plains, led, in about an hour, to the point whence the pilgrim 
obtains his last view, and must take his farewell of Jerusalem ! It was a sad, 



142 



A VISION OF THE PAST. 



thoughtful moment, and we could not easily tear ourselves from the spot, but 
lingered with a fondness almost akin to that of an old friendship ; and while our 
eyes drank in the last view we should have on earth of the material walls and 
battlements of Jerusalem, the sight of the soul seemed to be enlarged, and em- 
braced in one vision, as in some mental chart, the history and the destiny of that 
Holy City. 

That History extends through a period of nearly four thousand years, or two- 
thirds of the earth's age since man's creation. Of no other inhabited spot, can 
the same assertion be made, and the fact that Jerusalem still remains a spiritual 
central point of attraction, is a sufficient intimation, were the ' more sure word 
of prophecy ' silent, that great events are yet hidden in the destiny of the City 
of God. Time to come may unfold to the gaze of mankind a more wonderful 
scroll than bygone ages have already opened of the history of Jerusalem. How 
wonderful, that all men of the two divine religions, have an equal and affection- 
ate reverence for the same spot, and that even the millions who obey the voice 
of a False Prophet, have nevertheless concurred with them in giving to this place 
the name, El Kuds, or the Holy ! Christians and Jews and Mussulmans unite to 
honor the city, whether of the Prophet who is to judge mankind, of the expected 
Messiah, or of the world's Saviour — the Incarnate Grod. 

The Mohammedan, from the far Indies, is not satisfied with his toilsome 
pilgrimage to Mecca, but braves the howling desert, that he may pray also within 
the courts of the Mosque of Omar ; in the foundations of the same sacred edifice 
the Jew from every clime comes to bewail the ruins of the Temple of Solomon ; 
and the Christian of civilized Europe, or the far-travelled children of the West, 
find here the tomb of Him who was able in three days to raise the Temple of One 
greater than Solomon. 

I turn from these crowds of pilgrims out of all nations, to the mighty Past. 
Though the shadows of nearly four thousand years have fallen upon the picture, 
I can still behold, in thought, the patriarch, returning in triumph from his 
victory over the kings, or the chiefs who had banded themselves together for 
oppression and robbery. Followed by a train of his household servants, and 
the captives whom he had released, and laden with recovered spoils, he is met by 



THE GOLDEN AGE OF JERUSALEM. 



143 



the venerable founder of Jerusalem. The successful warrior reverences his age, 
yet more his kingly office, but bows himself more than all before £ the Priest of 
the Most High God,' the type of Him who should be a ' Priest for ever after 
the order of Melchizedek.' Already, even in that early age, the world received 
a token of the great offering to be made upon that sacred hill, and of the simple 
but mysterious institution which should be coextensive with the knowledge of 
the Divine wisdom ; for when the king of Salem and the Priest of the Most High 
God blessed the Father of the faithful, he brought forth bread and wine ; which 
now quench the thirst and feed the famine of the world. Approaching that 
mountain in the land of Moriah, I behold the father of an only son, going forth 
upon a sore pilgrimage, and to perform the hard commandment, ' Take now thy 
son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and offer him for a burnt offering.' 
He ascends the hill ; his thoughts are in heaven, and the world is forgotten ; for 
he has left the young men and the asses behind him. But God hath provided 
another Lamb, and behold ! the fatal blow is averted ! 

Hundreds of years roll away : the idolaters have denied Salem : their iniquity 
is full ; and war crosses the Jordan with the hosts of God. The lower city 
is taken, though the citadel of Jebus is not fallen : but now the flames arise, for 
the captains of Judah after the death of Joshua, have burned a portion of Jeru- 
salem. At length the shepherd warrior finishes the conquest, and the valor 
and piety of David, joined to the peaceful reign and the wisdom of Solomon, 
place Jerusalem upon the highest pinnacle of her glory, in the golden age 
of Palestine. I see the worship of the true God sanctifying His chosen city ; 
* it is well seen, God, how thou goest, how thou, my God and King, goest in 
the sanctuary. The singers go before, the minstrels follow after, in the midst 
are the damsels playing with the timbrels.' The great name and the daily 
praise of Jehovah, at morning and at evening, are established in Jerusalem. — 
The ark of God is come up from Shiloh and is venerated upon Mount Zion. 
What the warlike power and the piety of David began is now finished by the 
prudence of Solomon. "Without noise, in the midst of silent prosperity and 
peace, the most magnificent Temple that man ever built to his God, arises. 
The ships of Tarshish bring their treasures, the gold of Ophir comes up in 



144 



DECLINE OF JEKUSALEM. 



abundance; the harbors of Elath and of Ezion-geber are filled with wealth; 
spices and myrrh and the treasures of the East are brought upon camels, in 
countless caravans, which cross the deserts from Tadmor, or Palmyra. 
The king of Tyre sends his cunning workmen, and the summits of Lebanon 
yield up their choicest cedars. The sublime prayer of consecration is offered, 
and the pinnacles of that glorious temple of God now throw back the pure and 
golden light of the morning sun. 

Such were the greatness, the splendor and the glory of the land of the 
children of Israel, of the city of Jerusalem, and of the temple of God. 
Arrayed in all her magnificence the queen of the East comes from a far country 
to behold the wonders she had heard, and her heart fainted within her when 
she saw the reality ; for lo ! the half of it had not been told unto her ! 

But, alas ! a change comes over the glorious vision. The king departs from 
his integrity ! Peace and prosperity are stronger than wisdom, and he falls. 
The punishment is meted out to his son. Eebellion divides the land, ten of her 
twelve tribes have revolted to return no more, and from the metropolis of a 
great theocracy, I see Jerusalem sink into the capital of a small remnant. In a 
few years that beautiful temple is profaned, plundered and pillaged, and at last 
utterly destroyed by the armies of the Chaldeans. The city of God lies waste, 
widowed and solitary. Her children are gone into captivity, and sit down to 
weep by the waters of Babylon. But God remembers Zion, when the empire 
of the Assyrians is forgotten, and raises up a mighty prince to restore the 
temple, amid the tears which the old men weep who saw its former and greater 
glory. War and profanation have not yet ceased; the smoke of the daily 
sacrifice ascends no more, and the image of an idol stands upon the altar. The 
right arm of God vindicates again His own majesty, and chooses, as the instru- 
ment for the restoration of His glory, the valor, the piety and the patriotism of 
Judas Maccabeus. It is left for Herod the Great to prepare the temple for the 
approach of the Desire of all nations. 

There is universal peace! Are kings tired of conquest? Is the world 
weary with contention ? It is the Prince of Peace preparing the way for his 
own glorious advent. There is 



ADVENT OF CHRIST FALL OF JERUSALEM. 



145 



" A passage down to Earth, a passage wide, 
Over the Promised Land, to God so dear, 
By which to visit oft those happy tribes 
On high behests his angels to and fro 
Passed frequent." 

By this way an archangel comes down with the message. The unaccustomed 
air is divided by the wings of Gabriel : the sky makes room for the splendors 
of a new star : and the road from the distant East is trodden for an unwonted 
purpose by wise men who are worshippers. Heaven rejoices while Bethlehem 
is unconscious of her new treasure. In the fulness of time, the lame walk, the 
deaf hear, the dumb speak, the dead rise, and the Gospel is preached to the 
poor. The proud are brought low and the humble are exalted. The mountains 
sink and the valleys rise. There is peace on earth, there is good- will to men. 
But alas! they receive it not. The Lord is rejected, weeps, is agonized, dies! 
Jerusalem has sealed her doom. He, indeed, bursts the bonds, conquers death, 
goes up to heaven, establishes His kingdom; — but lo! the Eoman eagles 
have taken their flight to Jerusalem ; the armies of Yespasian and Titus are 
chosen to fulfil the terrific predictions. I behold war, cohorts, legions, trenches, 
battering-rams, crumbling walls, a dying people, the flaming temple ! The 
plough passes over the Mount of Yision, the olives in Gethsemane bend in 
deeper sorrow, the trees upon Olivet weep, and the cedars of Lebanon bow 
down their majestic heads. The very name of Jerusalem is blotted out from 
under heaven, and the courts of her holy house are trodden down by the 
nations. ! come hither, and let us weep together ! 

Ages of forgetfulness flow over her with a noiseless tide, till the strong love 
of the Holy Sepulchre, that great battle-field where the tyrant Death was for 
ever vanquished, attracts awakened Europe to the grave of Christ. Then was 
war again heard in her gates, and the curse of the Saracen, mingled with the 
shouts of the Christian, drowned the lamentations of the despised and outcast 
Jew, of both equally contemned. But the triumph was short ; — the agony was 
soon over, and the Holy City, to which we now bid a sorrowful farewell, is still 

19 



146 



TOMB OF SAMUEL EAMAII BEEE. 



trodden down of the unbelievers, until it shall please God to make again the 
cross her emblem, and to bring all men to worship together at the heavenly 
Jerusalem ! 



% onnmj from fwMalrat to Ikjatrtjr. 

Having, at length, bid a reluctant farewell to the Holy City, we proceeded 
over the hills, the first object of interest upon an eminence on our left being 
ISTebby Samwil. We had intended to visit this Tomb of the Prophet Samuel, 
which is regarded with veneration by Jews and Mohammedans, as well as 
Christians. A Mosque stands upon the summit of the hill, forming a striking 
object in the landscape. There is every reason to believe that this is the site of 
ancient Eamah, where Samuel was born, whence he looked down with sorrow 
upon the rebellious people and the apostate king, and where also he died. We 
should have continued our visit to the scene of the miracle recorded in Joshua, 
X. 12, 1 Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of 
Ajalon. 1 But we found it necessary to continue our journey upon the direct 
road to Beer, a small village situated in a pleasant valley, and supplied with abun- 
dance of water on every side, answering thus to its name, which signifies " the 
Well." While we stopped to recruit ourselves with the cool and refreshing 
water of this fountain, my mind being intent upon tracing, as far as possible, the 
pathways of our Blessed Lord, was not unwilling to receive the tradition which 
marks this out as the place where Joseph and the Mother of Jesus turned 
back to Jerusalem, seeking Him. For since it appears that they travelled, as 
is still the custom, slowly and in large companies, twelve or fifteen miles would 
have been a day's journey, and they might easily take no note of His absence 
until they came to encamp for the night. The next morning they went hastily 
back to Jerusalem, and after three days, that is, on the third day from their 
leaving the city, they found Him in the Temple. 

At an hour's distance from Beer is Bethel, now called Beiteen, pleasantly 



BETHEL SHILOH. 



147 



situated in a valley, and containing some extensive ruins, which bear marks of 
antiquity. This is a place of interesting associations in connection with the Old 
Testament history. The flocks of Abraham once fed upon these hills, still 
famous for the excellence of their pasturage. Jacob named the spot Beth-El, or 
House of Grod ; for here he saw in his dream, the heavenly ladder and the 
angels. It was also notorious for one of the golden calves set up by the 
idolatrous and politic Jeroboam, the other being at Dan. 

"We now passed several villages, seated prominently upon the hills, whose 
sides were clothed with vineyards, olive-trees, and fruits of various kinds, the 
country being far more fertile than that which surrounds Jerusalem. The 
latter part of this day's long ride was a solitary and anxious one for me, as my 
friend had turned aside, to see several objects of interest, out of the direct road. 
Hardly expecting to reach us again that night, he had almost made up his mind 
to stop at a neighboring convent, when he heard the tinkling of the bells of our 
horses, in a valley before him, and to our great joy came up late in the evening, 
as we were about to pitch the tents at Sinjil. 

April 15th. — While yet at Jerusalem we had determined to visit Seilun, not 
doubting that this was the ancient Shiloh. We therefore sent on our train, and 
diverged towards the east, and in the course of an hour, came to the ruins on a 
spot once so famous. The following incident will serve to convey an idea of the 
contrast between the ancient glory of Shiloh, the place where Jehovah had set 
His name, and its present desolation. We were upon a hill, looking down into 
the valley, where, of old, the ark of Jehovah was venerated, where Eli ministered, 
where Samuel was dedicated to God while yet a child, and where a large popu- 
lation celebrated the praises of the Most High with feasting and dances ; but 
all was now desolate and silent, in accordance with the curse denounced upon 
Shiloh. The only inhabitant we saw was an old man who hastened up and 
seized our servant's horse by the bridle, demanding tribute, another name for 
robbery. On the presentation, however, of an unloaded pistol, he desisted. 
Thus has Shiloh become desolate, almost forgotten, and is even a hiding place 
for robbers. 

There are indeed, ruins which, situated among the trees, form a striking 



148 



SHILOH LEE ON AH. 



picture upon the hill-side. They appear to be the remains of an ancient 
Church. The doorway is still left, and on the entablature appears, well- 
sculptured, an amphora between two wreaths. The front of the ruins is pyra- 
midal, and four square columns yet retain their erect position. The round 
columns, apparently of the Corinthian order, lie strewn about in fragments. 
Thus has entire desolation overtaken every attempt to restore the worship of 
God, in a place of which he once said 1 yet have I set my name at Shiloh.' It 
was already accursed in the days of the Prophet Jeremiah, and now, both the 
Temple and Shiloh have been abandoned of God. 1 But go ye now unto my 
place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to 
it for the wickedness of my people Israel. Therefore will I do unto this house, 
which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave 
to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh.' Jeremiah vii. 12, 14. 

We now crossed the cultivated fields, a proof that some village was not very 
far distant, and went over the hills until we reached the road to Nablous. 
After continuing for some time upon the high ground, we descended rapidly to a 
fountain of delicious water, and a ruinous khan, called Khan Luhdn ) with a 
village at a short distance, upon the side of the hill, and bearing the same name. 
If this .be the ancient Lebonah, a probable inference from its name and antiquity, 
it assists in estabhshing the position of Shiloh ; which seems to be accurately 
described in Judges xxi. 19 : 1 Behold, there is a feast of the Lord in Shiloh 
yearly, which is on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the highway 
that goeth up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.' Thus 
we had come from Bethel on the south, turned to the east from the main road 
leading to Sichem or Shechem, and now found Seilun or Shiloh south from 
Luban or Lebonah. This place marks the boundary between Judea and 
Samaria. 

We were now, then, on the borders of a country of deep interest, and 
expected soon to visit the Well of Jacob, and the mountains of blessing and 
cursing, Gerizim and Ebal. Our ride to these places was along the side of a 
mountain, with an extensive fertile plain upon our right. We had a com- 
manding view of this beautiful region during the remaining five or six miles 



NABLOUS THE LEPEES. 



149 



which intervened between us, and the foot of Gerizim and the valley in which 
ISTablous lay. On approaching Nablous a scene of great gayety presented itself. 
A beautiful grove of olive-trees, in the neighborhood, was rilled with the 
people, who had come out before sunset to enjoy the coolness and freshness of 
the country air. The children were playing around and swinging among the 
trees, and all the inhabitants seemed to be escaping from the closeness of the 
city. At this we did not wonder, after passing the whited walls, and entering 
the narrow and filthy streets. There was sufficient evidence of the hatred and 
contempt with which Christians are treated ; for we could hear the younger and 
more thoughtless of the crowd exclaim Nozrani, Nazarene ! and some of the 
children went so far as to throw stones at us. We rode entirely through the city, 
which appears to be crowded between the two hills Gerizim and Bbal, and to 
consist chiefly of one long street, and encamped in an olive-grove upon the 
other side. 

We had scarcely done so before we were surrounded by a crowd of lepers, 
similar in appearance, dress, misery and importunity, to those who accosted us at 
the Zion gate in Jerusalem. These poor creatures were covered with lumps 
and blotches, some blind, others with limbs deformed in every frightful way, 
hands swollen and crooked, faces distorted, many with their voices reduced to a 
horrible, husky whisper, and worst of all, making a parade of their misery, to 
excite compassion and extort charity. This wretched class of human beings, 
according to the custom of ancient times, live in communities entirely separate 
from their fellows. Their marriages are exclusively with each other. It is a 
very remarkable fact that their offspring, until about the age of ten, are comely 
like other children, when the fatal hereditary taint is sure to develope itself. 

As we entered the valley, in which Kablous is situated, we had observed a 
gentleman and lady on horseback, and in the Frank costume, riding over the 
plain. A circumstance so unusual in this part of the world, excited our atten- 
tion, and we learned that the indefatigable missionary of the Church of England, 
the Eev. Mr. Ewald, had come hither with his lady, on an excursion for the 
benefit of his health. We found them residing in the house of a Greek 
merchant, and a part of this evening, spent in their agreeable society, proved 



150 



THE SAMAKITANS GEKIZIM. 



very instructive to us, especially with reference to the present condition and 
customs of the few remaining Samaritans. In the discharge of his duty Mr. 
Ewald had frequently conversed with the Samaritans, especially with a leading 
character of considerable intelligence. Strange to say, the ideas of the Samari- 
tan had a most striking resemblance to those of the woman who talked with 
our Saviour. In proving that Mount Gerizim is the place where God ought to 
be worshipped, the Samaritan said, " When Messiah shall appear, He will ask, 
' Will you not allow that the copy of the Pentateuch which agrees with the law 
written by the finger of God on the two tables of stone, must be the true one ?' 
Then, continued the Samaritan, will He find and produce those tables, which 
are now hidden in Mount Grerizim, and the long controversy between us and the 
Jews will be settled for ever." 

The whole number of the Samaritans may be .estimated at one hundred and 
fifty. Koth withstanding they are reduced to this small remnant, the ancient 
feud between them and the Jews continues unabated, and the Samaritans have 
no social intercourse, and will not even eat and drink with the Jews. They 
observe the Sabbath with great strictness, according to the most rigid construc- 
tion of the Mosaic Law, and look forward, with unshaken faith, to the appearing 
of Messiah, who will present Himself, they say, upon Mount Gerizim. They 
still observe the Day of Atonement and the three great festivals, the Feast of 
Tabernacles, of Pentecost, and of the Passover. On the last day of the 
Passover, they make a feast, sacrifice seven lambs, and eat the flesh. 

April 16th. — Early this morning we secured a guide, and, by a steep ascent, 
went up to the top of Gerizim. The first ruins which were shown us, appear 
to belong to a Eoman fortress. However, the thought instantly occurred, that 
these might be the remains of the temple once built upon this mountain. They 
are, indeed, very extensive, but lost their interest to us, on our asking the guide, 
Where is the place of sacrifice ? upon which he answered, It is not here. He 
then led us a short distance farther, and a little lower down, and there we found 
two rows of unhewn stones, with nothing remarkable in their appearance, and 
were informed that this was the altar of the annual sacrifice. But observing no 
appearances of recent fire, which fact surprised us, as the Passover had just been 



VIEW FKOM GEKIZIM. 



151 



celebrated, we learned that the Samaritans were deterred, by some new out- 
break of Mohammedan fanaticism, from keeping the festival on the accustomed 
spot, and had therefore been obliged to confine themselves to a private court- 
yard near their synagogue. There is another place which they esteem more 
holy still, where it is affirmed that the tabernacle and the ark of the covenant 
once rested. The Samaritans say that the temple in question stood here. 

The view from the table-land on the summit of Gerizim is not easily 
surpassed. We were richly rewarded for our toilsome ascent, by a magnificent 
prospect, on which it would be difficult to say whether the beauties of nature or 
the power of association bestowed the higher charm. In the far distance we 
caught a glimpse of the waters of the Mediterranean, just gleaming on the 
horizon. The snowy top of Hermon arose in the north, with all its sacred recol- 
lections. Beneath us, towards the east, lay the fertile valley that Jacob had 
bought of Hamor the father of Shechem, and which at his death he had given to 
Joseph. As we descended the mountain, we found that this valley was now cov- 
ered with abundant promise, and the eye rested with delight upon those different 
tints of green which announced the variety of the approaching harvest. No 
marvel that Jacob could exclaim of the son to whom he had given this fair inheri- 
tance, 1 Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well, whose branches 
run over the wall for the vale below us was watered by living brooks. It is an 
interesting fact that the streams divide at Kablous, and flow eastward and west- 
ward, to the Mediterranean Sea and the river Jordan. A well watered valley runs 
up between the famous mountains, and, at the distance of two miles from its 
commencement, JSTablous is situated. Gerizim, upon which we stood, seemed 
well suited to the pleasing lot that had been assigned to it, as the Mount of 
Blessing ; for it smiled with cultivation and verdure ; while the near and oppo- 
site Ebal, dark, rugged, bare, and desolate, seemed still, as of old time, to frown 
with curses. What a scene was once displayed here ! for in this valley, and 
upon the sides of these hills, the tribes of the Lord were assembled, when the 
Levites lifted up their voice and pronounced choice blessings upon the obedient, 
and fearful curses upon the rebellious among the people. 1 And all Israel, and 
their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark, and on 



152 



Jacob's well. 



that side before the Priests and the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant 
of the Lord, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them ; half of them 
over against Mount Grerizim and half of them over against Mount Ebal ; as Moses 
the servant of the Lord had commanded before, that they should bless the 
people of Israel. And afterwards Joshua read all the words of the law, the 
blessings and curses, according to all that is written in the book of the law.' 
Joshua viii. 33, 34. 

We now descended the mountain by another way, in the direction of Jacob's 
Well, which lies at the opening of the valley of Shechem or Sichem. Travers- 
ing fields of grain, we had some difficulty in finding the spot, our guide him- 
self being at a loss. He discovered the place as we were about to abandon the 
search ; but after he had pointed it out to us, we still doubted ; for we saw only 
the narrow mouth of a pit, covered by a stone. This, by the help of a neighbor- 
ing laborer, we succeeded in removing, and my friend descended, and found 
immediately underneath, a kind of small chamber, surrounded by pilasters. 
Here a much larger opening formed the mouth of the well, and by throwing 
stones into it, we discovered its great depth, and that there was water at the 
bottom. The uniform and unbroken tradition leaves no room to doubt that 
this is the Well of Jacob, spoken of in the New Testament : ' Then cometh He 
to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to a parcel of ground that 
Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's Well was there. Jesus therefore 
being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well.' John iv. 5, 6. Here, 
then, we were upon a spot once consecrated by the living presence of the Lord. 
Indeed, we may feel assured that the whole of the pilgrimage from Jerusalem, 
which we have now been permitted to make, was a familiar journey to the feet 
of our Blessed Eedeemer ; for, as He often went to and fro between Galilee and 
Judea, £ He must needs go through Samaria.' By these hills and valleys He 
has passed upon His holy errands of mercy and love. Wearied with his journey, 
subject for our sake to physical infirmities also, hungry and thirsty, He sat down 
at the hour of noon, upon this well. What a thought ! Here, where we stood, 
he offered the water of life, and proclaimed the spiritual character of His king- 
dom ! Here, the Samaritan Woman, occupied by His divine message, forgot to 



Joseph's tomb — animal sacrifice. 



153 



draw water for the Lord, and the Lord equally forgot His thirst ; nay, when His 
disciples brought Him food He exclaimed, ' I have meat to eat which ye know 
not of.' Thus, though exposed to all the wants of man, refreshment needful for 
the body was forgotten, when opportunity offered to preach the spiritual 
kingdom which He came to establish, that men might hunger and thirst no 
more. 

Eeturning to ISTablous, the tomb of Joseph lay in plain view, upon our right 
hand ; but as it was evidently a Mohammedan structure of modern date, we did 
not turn aside to visit it. Yet we could not behold, even at a distance, a spot 
which bore the name of the patriarch, without reflecting upon that faith by 
which he foresaw the termination of the captivity of his brethren in Egypt, and 
that love of his native valleys which prompted the prayer to carry up his bones 
from the land of bondage and to lay them in the land of promise. 

The only object of special interest in Nablous is the synagogue of the 
Samaritans. We were desirous of seeing the celebrated manuscript of the 
Pentateuch, which they, with singular hardihood, affirm to have been written in 
the time of Moses. It had the appearance indeed of a venerable ' roll of a 
book ;' but we had reason to infer that they themselves put but little faith in 
this legend of such unknown and high antiquity. On making inquiry of the 
venerable Eabbi in reference to the recent celebration of the Passover, we were 
taken to a terrace above a small court, whence we could look down upon the 
places where the seven lambs were sacrificed. The cinders and ashes being 
pointed out, we were told that the ceremonial had been performed upon this 
spot, instead of Mount Gerizim, in consequence of the bigotry of the Moham- 
medans, to which I have before alluded. 

"We stood then, for the first time in our lives, near the s/pot where an 
animal sacrifice is still performed. But a few days had gone by since a meek 
and innocent victim had been led hither unconscious of its doom, and here its 
blood had been poured forth as an offering. How could such an event fail to 
set before us a vivid picture of that wonderful rite, ordained in the beginning, 
the sacrifice of the innocent to wash away transgression ? From the first offer- 
ing made by Abel up to the present hour, that mysterious thought, the just 

20 



154 



THE GEEAT ATONEMENT. 



shall die for the unjust, the guiltless for the guilt y, had never been suffered to 
perish from the earth. The offering which Abel brought of the firstlings of 
his flock, pointed indeed, with a simple and touching sublimity, to the Lamb 
slain ; but it received from the future sacrifice on the cross its only significance 
and efficacy ; the cinders and ashes before us, on the contrary, were not more 
lifeless and cold, than this poor attempt to prefigure the past, by a ceremony now 
so empty and unmeaning. The altar of Abel was the monument of a mighty 
faith, yet powerful, even in death ; but this altar of the poor Samaritans is the 
feeble token of a stubborn unbelief, cold, formal and unfruitful, though with a 
semblance of life. The lofty ceremonial of the Jews, with all the majesty of 
the Temple of Solomon ; the long array of Priests and Levites in countless 
numbers in their courses ; the tribes of the Lord out of the whole land coming 
up to one altar; the smoke of the sacrifice of untold victims ever rising to 
Heaven ; the sacred fire never extinguished ; the awful mystery of the High 
Priest, but once a year, and then not without blood, entering into the Holy of 
Holies ; all this formed indeed a worship not too holy nor magnificent for the 
mighty meaning — the great Atonement. It has ceased: but could it be re- 
newed with tenfold dignity and glory, it would now be as empty and childish 
as it was before affecting and sublime. Yet even this vain Samaritan shadow 
of a ritual once so splendid and imposing, is full of significance to him who has 
laid hold by faith of the substance of the deluded Samaritan's hope. They 
ignorantly still perform a service, designed only to prefigure an event now long 
passed. But the Samaritan, who clings to the semblance of an offering, and 
even when driven from the altar on his holy mountain, substitutes, with singu- 
lar perseverance, a few rude stones in the common court-yard of any hovel, is 
not more blind and obstinate than the Jew, who will not behold that finger of 
God, which, during these many centuries, has forbidden the victim to bleed in 
Jerusalem, and the smoke of the sacrifice to ascend from the altar of Mount 
Moriah. 

What a lesson to unbelief! How striking this circumstance to the faithful ! 
A poor, obscure, and despised handful of Samaritans, shut up in a secluded 
village, in this narrow valley, between the mountains of blessing and of cursing, 



TEITTMPH of the lamb. 



155 



scarcely one hundred and fifty human beings, all counted, are, in the whole 
world, the only believers in one God who still vainly deem that they make the 
Atonement of blood ! Indeed a little remnant ! and yet a wondrous monument 
both of the truth and of the justice of God ! 

And now, since neither at Jerusalem, nor on this mountain can men worship 
the Father, with the blood of the dying victim and beneath the cloud of smoke 
ascending from the burning sacrifice, is not the time approaching when the 
poor offering here made shall also cease ? Then shall Jews, Samaritans and 
Gentiles unite in the faithful confession that God has removed every outward 
ceremonial of a sacrifice of blood, because that great event has transpired 
which alone gave it power and efficacy. Then, indeed, shall 

" One song employ all nations, and all cry 
Worthy the Lamb, for He was slain for us !" 

Hasten the time when Samaritans, Jews, Christians, and even the Pagans 
of the Gentiles shall unite in the new song : ' Thou wast slain, and hast re- 
deemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, 
and nation when the angels shall join in the song, 1 Worthy is the Lamb that 
was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, 
and glory, and blessing !' 

SAMABIA. 

Early in the morning we had sent our attendants with the camp equipage to 
Jenin, where we contemplated resting for the night, reserving only the faithful 
Asgoul to act as interpreter by the way. Leaving Kablous about mid-day, we 
travelled in a northwesterly direction through a narrow valley, which we found 
well watered, filled with gardens and olive groves, vineyards and fig-trees. It 
was indeed one of the most fruitful valleys we had yet seen in Palestine. A 
small but lively brook accompanied us for about two miles through this verdant 
and delightful country, when we came to a rude aqueduct, leading a portion of 



156 



A SULKY ARAB FIRST SIGHT OF SEBASTE. 



the stream to an Arab mill at a short distance. Here the usual road ascends the 
hills which form the northern barrier of the valley ; but as our friend, the Eev. 
Mr. Mcolayson, had recommended, we took another route to the left, as more 
pleasant to travel, and affording a better approach to Sebaste. After riding 
through a rolling country of arable fields well cultivated; and with villages 
continually in sight, until we believed ourselves near the ancient capital of 
Samaria, we were somewhat at a loss, and began to fear that we might have 
missed our way. This was no very pleasant reflection, for the inhabitants of 
this region are quite notorious for their bigotry, their thievish propensities, and 
hatred to strangers. Of this we presently had an unquestionable proof. A 
man was at work near, and being asked through our interpreter to show us the 
way, he instantly began to bargain for a high compensation. A reasonable 
reward we should cheerfully have given, but he made a most exorbitant de- 
mand, and refused to tell us any thing unless it was complied with. Not liking 
his disobliging and even threatening appearance, and seeing that not far off 
there were others at work whom he might easily call to his aid, we became 
anxious to rid ourselves of his company. Turning our horses' heads, therefore, 
to our surprise and delight we saw the object of our search at a short distance 
on the right hand, and where even the pointing of his finger would have been 
an ample direction. Upon a hill amongst higher hills that surrounded it, and 
peeping out from a grove of trees, we saw the tops of ruined walls and arches, 
like the chancel end of some dilapidated old abbey church, in a picturesque 
English landscape. 

In these ruins we instantly recognized the Church of St. John the Baptist, 
the principal object of interest now remaining to mark the site of the ancient 
Samaria. Putting spurs to our horses, and leaving the sulky peasant to muse 
over his disappointed knavery, we were soon at the bottom of a hill, oblong 
rather than round, with a steep ascent and an extensive table summit. A zig- 
zag path now over its sides, which seemed once to have been terraced, and now 
amongst heaps of stones, some of them large, squared and bearing the marks 
of sculpture, brought us to a squalid-looking village. Not a few of the houses, 
or hovels rather, were constructed of portions of columns, and broken capitals, 




i 



THE RUINS OF SAMARIA. 



157 



that had been richly carved ; in short, there were many evidences of ruined 
magnificence. Upon the eastern end of the hill, where it falls suddenly to the 
valley, stands the majestic ruin which had been our fortunate and timely 
beacon. We found it, in reality, what it appeared at a distance, the chancel end 
of a noble church. There remains, in tolerable preservation, a pointed arch 
over a vaulted semicircular recess, pierced for three windows. Its foundation is 
a lofty, massive wall, built up from the valley to the surface of the hill. The 
side walls of this once extensive temple of the Lord, are much broken, and, in 
some places, levelled with the ground; but its general form could still be 
traced. At the west end a mosque has been erected within the area of the 
church. The tomb of St. John the Baptist is in a vault beneath, and we tried, 
but ineffectually, to gain admittance, the door-keeper being absent. Whether 
the sepulchre of the Forerunner of our Lord is here, may be a question ; but 
the tradition that this was the prison where he was confined and beheaded at 
the instigation of Herodias, may be readily adopted. 

We spent some time in examining these riiins, looking out upon the 
surrounding prospect from the bold front of the hill which they crown, and 
meditating upon the various history of this remarkable place. Eenowned in 
ancient times as the capital of the ten tribes and the residence of the monarchs 
of Israel, the scene of those idolatries which called down the curses of God, by 
the mouth of his servants, Elijah and Elisha, the court of the wicked Ahab, and 
the still more execrable Jezebel, the theatre of many events that possess a lasting 
interest for every reader of Sacred Story, the name of Samaria can only perish 
from our memory with the earliest recollections of childhood. Its modern 
appellation is derived from the time of Herod the Great, who having rebuilt a 
large portion of the city, and adorned it with profuse magnificence, gave it the 
Greek name of Sebaste, or the August, in honor of the Emperor Augustus, who 
had bestowed upon him the kingdom of Samaria, If grandeur of position 
may entitle any city to this lofty epithet, then does its beautiful and command- 
ing situation confer it rightfully on Samaria. 

Leaving this eminence and descending the hill, we saw upon our left hand 
still farther evidence of the ruined splendor of the Sebaste of Herod, In an 



158 



ENCAMPMENT AT JENIN. 



extensive field, which, probably formed one of the approaches to the city, are 
two rows of columns. Many were fallen and broken, but some appeared to be 
standing in their original position. Though frequently called the Palace of 
Herod, they seem much better adapted to another purpose, and would, in 
modern times, form indeed a magnificent avenue. 

Our road, crossing a deep valley, led us up a long and sharp ascent, and 
from the summit a most extensive prospect opened upon us, combining a distant 
view of the plain of Sharon and of the Mediterranean Sea, while before and 
around us stretched away a vast extent of hills and valleys, apparently well 
watered, for we saw in several places the reflection of the sunbeams gleaming 
from the brooks, and in one direction from an extensive lake. The journey was 
through a district of unusual capabilities, the soil being very fertile and abun- 
dantly irrigated. "We encountered, however, but few travellers and hence 
formed an idea of a sparse population until we approached the termination 
of our day's ride. 

A short distance before reaching Jenin we came upon a large and rapid 
brook, which we followed until it led us to the city. On entering, we made 
inquiries for our attendants and the place where our camp was pitched ; but 
Asgoul being misapprehended, we were led to a caravansery in the heart of 
the city, where, it appeared, that we might have been hospitably entertained ; 
but as preparations had already been made for us, we went out of the city 
again, and found our encampment upon the borders of the fine brook already 
mentioned. Glad, indeed, was I to arrive there, for I had become gradually 
exhausted by fatigue, and during the latter part of this day's journey was not 
in a fit state to keep the saddle. 

April 17th —Even after a night's repose, I was but little refreshed, and 
found myself this morning scarcely able to proceed. This was, however, no 
place for a sick man, and I knew if I could reach Nazareth I should there find 
hospitality in the convent, and receive medical advice and treatment, if neces- 
sary, from the worthy monks. I regretted this illness the more, as it prevented 
me from accompanying my friend to many places of interest in the Scripture 
history ; as the Mountains of Gilboa, the lesser Hermon, the site of Jezreel, 



ESDKAELON INCIDENT. 



159 



the Cave of the Witch of Endor, and, above all, Nain, the scene of that most 
touching miracle of our Lord. My friend, also, on my account, would have 
abandoned this intention, but I insisted upon his following the plan which we 
had originally marked out, while I, with two attendants, took the more easy 
and direct route to Nazareth, over the plain of Esdraelon. 

How much might I have enjoyed the ride across this largest of all the 
plains in Palestine, and so famous for historical associations, had my health 
permitted. After riding slowly for several hours and accomplishing the 
greater part of the journey, I found it necessary to stop and rest. Near a 
shallow brook which was one of the tributaries of the ancient river Kishon, I 
dismounted and lay upon the green sward for some time. Having then ordered 
up the horses, which had been left to graze, I remember walking to the side of 
my own animal, and laying my hand upon him ; when, oppressed by a sudden 
sense of darkness, I fell upon the ground. I was afterwards told by our drago- 
man, Achmet, who was one of my attendants, that I lay so long in this state 
that the other man, an honest fellow, a mule driver from Mount Lebanon, was 
fearful that I would never recover, and that they might be accused of unfair 
play ; for he exclaimed, " What shall we do with this dead man ?" The first 
circumstance that I remember, as I recovered from this long swoon, was the 
sight of Achmet throwing water in my face with his hands. 

With great difficulty I succeeded in getting into the saddle, and crossed the 
remaining portion of the plain, which is bounded, on that side, by the lofty 
hills among which Nazareth is situated. After we had ascended half the 
mountain pass which leads to that place, I found my friend sitting under a tree 
and anxiously awaiting us, in consequence of the journey having been so long 
delayed. I shall never forget the concern pictured on his countenance when 
he saw me approach ; and some idea may be formed of my situation when 1 
add that not only was I scarcely able to keep upon the saddle, but that several 
miles, over a road so rough that only a Syrian horse could keep his footing, 
yet intervened between us and any place of rest or shelter. Throiigh these 
difficult and precipitous defiles, however, we made our way, my friend encour- 
aging me with his sympathy. At length the welcome village, with its convent, 



160 



THE BENEVOLENT MONK OE NAZAEETH. 



presented itself to our sight. How different to me would have been the ap- 
proach to this scene of our Lord's early youth, had I been better able to appre- 
ciate it. But exhausted as I was, my only desire was now to reach a place of 
repose. This offered itself when the good fathers opened the doors of their 
convent. I was soon comfortably lodged, and reclining upon a bed so soft and 
clean that it would have been a luxury to one in health ; how much more to a 
pilgrim weary, worn and faint ! 

A Spanish monk, of the Franciscan order, soon appeared as the physician 
of the convent. This venerable father entered with flowing beard, and in the 
brown habit of his order. With the most benign expression he questioned me 
in Italian, and administered to the wants of his patient. Thus the Christian 
religion is every where the love of God. This venerable monk may have been 
a nobleman, was evidently a scholar, and here, without expectation of any 
temporal fee or reward, he instantly devoted himself to me, as though the 
whole business of his life was to care for the sick. So he administers to the 
wants of the Arabs of the desert, and the convent itself is to all that region 
the centre of charities untold. Truly wonders of love have sprung from the 
Grodlike benevolence of the Carpenter's Son of Nazareth ! 

April 18th. — This day I was frequently visited by the worthy monk, who 
discovered that there was no positive disease, and no symptoms, as we had 
feared, of the Syrian fever ; but that my whole difficulty was excessive fatigue. 
It was obvious that I must rest two days at least ; and I therefore insisted upon 
my friend's availing himself of this opportunity to visit Mount Carmel, which 
we had feared we should be obliged to pass by. He was unwilling, at first, but 
seeing that I had good attendance, a careful physician, and all comforts, he bade 
me for a short time a reluctant farewell. 

I did not leave my bed the whole day, and from the very slight recollection 
left of its occurrences, it must have been principally passed in unconscious 
sleep produced by the combined effects of excessive fatigue and illness. The 
only traces of it that memory retains, are the occasional visits of the benevo- 
lent monk bringing simple remedies, and a cooling sherbet, which he prepared 
himself, and which proved exceedingly grateful to a feverish patient. 



MOUNT CARMEL CONVENT OF ELIJAH. 



161 



CARMEL. 

Not requiring the attentions of my friend, I was very glad of the opportu- 
nity thus afforded him of visiting Carmel, which was only at the distance of a 
few hours ride, — but, as he informed me, over a rough mountain road. He 
reached the convent of St. Elijah before the evening, and was hospitably enter- 
tained by the few monks now resident there. It has a commanding site, upon 
a bold promontory, running out into the Mediterranean, upon which on the 
one hand, and upon the plain of Esdraelon on the other, the convent looks 
down from the height of nine hundred feet. The mountain, in the rear of the 
monastery rises nine hundred or a thousand feet higher, and then runs off to 
the southeast, in a chain of hills whose tops are flattened and form an extensive 
plain, now rocky, but in ancient times covered with vines and fig-trees. So 
fertile was this region, that one prophet uses it as the superlative of abundance 
and beauty, ' the excellency of Carmel ;' and another, when he would represent 
the judgments of God in their most fearful effects, says that even the ' top of 
Carmel shall wither.' It has other and more striking associations connecting it 
with the prophet whose name the convent bears. Here he dwelt for a long 
time. Here he assembled the people of Israel for the memorable trial by the 
answer of fire, between the true God and Baal. Hence he took the deceiving 
prophets of the idol down to the river Kishon that rolls at the base of Carmel, 
and slew them there. 

The cave where the prophet hid himself, to escape the persecutions of Ahab 
and Jezebel, is still pointed out, and the hill to which he ascended to pray for 
rain after the drought of three years, where he { cast himself down upon the 
earth, and put his face between his knees,' and said to his servant, ' Go up 
now and look toward the sea ;' who, after the seventh time saw the ' little cloud 
out of the sea like a man's hand,' the signal of abundance of rain. Higher up, 
on the same mountain, tradition shows the grotto of Elisha, the disciple of 
Elijah, once visited by the Shunamite in her grief, imploring the prophet to 
come and raise her son from the dead. This magnificent prospect, and these 
interesting localities I saw only through the vivid descriptions of my friend. 

21 



162 



BEAUTIFUL SITE OF NAZAKETH. 



NAZARETH. 

April 19th. — Being much better to-day I was farther cheered by the return 
of my friend after his successful excursion. In the course of the day, and by 
successive short walks, as my strength would permit, we were enabled to visit 
all the well known places which have been the object of pilgrim veneration for 
centuries. Had we been in a condition to notice any thing we could not have 
failed to be struck with the beautiful situation of Nazareth as we entered it the 
first day. But I, through illness, and my friend, through anxiety for me, were 
then too much preoccupied to notice or think of any thing but our way to the 
convent. Nazareth reposes in the bosom of a beautiful valley abounding in 
rich pastures, groves of fig-trees, and gardens hedged with the prickly pear, 
surrounded by picturesque but barren mountains. "It seems" says a graphic 
writer, " as if fifteen mountains met to form an enclosure for this delightful 
spot ; they rise around it like the edge of a shell to guard it from intrusion." 
Its obscurity, probably, was the occasion of the contemptuous proverb applied to 
it in ancient times — ' Can any good thing come out of Nazareth ?' We now 
contemplate it with a far different sentiment since out of this remote, contracted, 
and once despised spot came incomparably the ' best thing ' the world has ever 
seen or can see. 

The village stands upon the lower slope of the hill that bounds the valley 
on the west, and contains a mingled population of Greek and Eoman Catholics, 
Maronites and Mohammedans. The prevailing number, however, is Christian, 
and their influence has been felt ; for the Mohammedans are here far less big- 
oted than in other places. The convent is upon a rocky eminence, rising 
directly from the valley, upon the eastern border of the village. It is a sub- 
stantial building of massive stone, enclosed in high walls. Within these, and 
connected with the convent, is the church built upon the place where the house 
of Joseph and Mary is supposed to have stood. The church itself, owing, it is 
said, to the jealousy of the Turks, who prevented the original design from 
being carried out, is not well proportioned. Its length is much too little for its 



HA BITATION OF THE HOLY FAMILY. 



163 



width. ; but in other respects it is handsome and adorned with rich draperies. 
The grand altar and the choir are considerably raised above the floor of the 
church, and are reached by flights of marble steps on each side. Between 
these is an opening, and a noble staircase of white marble, leading to a spacious 
chamber or grotto, below the floor of the church, and directly beneath the 
altar. Descending these, in front stands another altar, over which lamps are 
perpetually burning. Upon a plain marble slab you read the words ' Yerbum 
CAEO HIC factum EST y ' Here the Word was made flesh. 1 ISTear to this are two 
granite columns, the one designed to mark the place where the angel Gabriel 
stood when he came with the message of Annunciation from heaven ; the 
other the place where Mary was seated. The former of these is broken in two, 
the upper portion hanging from the ceiling above, miraculously suspended as 
the ignorant Catholic supposes, but this is too clumsy an invention for the intel- 
ligent among them to receive. Behind the altar are two rooms, excavated from 
the rock, being together about twenty feet in length by ten in width. In one 
of these is another altar, with a picture of the Holy Family, and this inscription 
— ' Hie eeat subdttus iLLis.' 1 Here icas He subject unto them. 1 These three 
apartments are supposed to have formed the habitation of the Holy Family ; 
the front one, having been covered with the house attached to the face of the 
rock, from which the chambers in the rear were hewn out. It is said to be a 
fact that now, in Xazareth, are there houses similarly arranged, that is to say, 
built against the side of a rock in which there is either a natural or an artificial 
cave. "When one is just ready to accept this explanation there comes in the 
absurd legend that the original house, so placed was taken by the angels, 
through the air, in the latter part of the thirteenth century, to save it from 
desecration by the Turks, and was removed first to Dalmatia and afterwards 
to Loretto ; and this raises such indignation that we are tempted to reject the 
whole tradition. But certainly there is no improbability in it, so far as the 
site itself is concerned, and I see nothing to forbid the supposition that we stood 
here upon the very spot which, for so many years, was honored as the chief 
abiding place of our blessed Lord. 

A little way from the convent, the guide, who shows the memorable places 



164 



AN IMPEOBABLE TEADITION. 



in Nazareth, leads you to a small chapel ; and here, you are told, is the site of 
the workshop where Joseph pursued his trade. Not far from this again, is 
another chapel, where you are shown a mass of rock of irregular shape, twelve 
feet in length by about nine or ten in breadth. The Latin inscription informs 
you what improbable fable superstition has connected with it. Traditio continua 
est et nunquam interrujpta apud omnes nationes Orientates, hanc petram, dictum 
mensa Ghristi, illam ijpsam esse petram, supra quam Dominus noster Jesus Christus, 
cum suis discipulis comedit ante etpost suam resurrectionem a mortuis. The tradi- 
tion is constant and unbroken amongst all eastern nations, that this rock, called 
the table of Christ, is the self-same rock upon which our Lord Jesus Christ with 
His disciples ate, both before and after His resurrection from the dead. 

But you are next led to a place with a tradition offering no insult to your 
common sense ; the synagogue, or rather its site, where our Saviour first 
preached to His own countrymen ■ the acceptable year of the Lord,' and where 
they were filled with wrath at His bold and honest rebukes. Then, says the 
narrative, ' they rose up and thrust Him out of the city, and led Him unto the 
brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast Him down 
headlong.' The scene of this intended violence is said to be ten miles from the 
city, and we did not therefore visit it. We felt the less inclined to do so as it 
is not at all likely that the enraged people would carry our Lord so long a dis- 
tance to wreak their vengeance, especially as much nearer precipices would 
have answered their purpose. 

Our longest excursion was to a well, out of the town, called Mary's Foun- 
tain, because the Virgin here procured the daily supply of water for her little 
household. Such is the tradition, and a very probable one it is ; for in a 
region like this, where earthquakes are infrequent, and volcanic action un- 
known, springs of water are not likely to disappear, or to change their places ; 
and as this is the only well near Nazareth, and whence all the inhabitants still 
draw water, the story may have been a daily theme for the people since the 
remarkable events occurred. There is little reason for doubt, that like the 
women of Nazareth, whom we saw, in large numbers, constantly going and 
returning, and with their pitchers at the fountain, so the Virgin Mary often 



THOUGHTS BY MAEY's FOUNTAIN. 



165 



came hither, with the infant Jesus in her arms, or leading Him by the hand as 
He grew in stature. 

While we walked slowly back from this ancient and memorable well, I 
could not divest myself of the associations of the spot. Every young mother 
acquired a momentary interest in my eyes, as though she might be another 
Mary, and every infant seemed to have a nearer connection than children else- 
where with the infant Saviour. I pictured to myself the humble but lovely 
form of the blessed among women, as she went, perhaps every day, or at morn- 
ing and evening, to and fro upon this very way. What thoughts within her 
heart while she pondered upon the wonderful origin of the beloved but myste- 
rious child that nestled in her bosom ! In no other bosom but hers had a 
mother's fondness ever been mingled with a virgin's adoration. She had heard 
the messages of angels and the prophecies of saints ; she had seen the wonder 
of shepherds and the worship of wise men. She may have listened to the 
chorus which united heaven and earth; for the song of a multitude of the 
celestial host was heard even by ears not endowed with a mother's attention. 
Tor His sake she had fled from the wrath of a king, and for Him she had been 
a pilgrim in a land far away from her home. And now He rewarded all her 
fondness, her hopes, her piety, her prayers ! He grew in wisdom. As she still 
led Him by the hand towards this fountain, His discourse was not all as the 
prattle of other children : 

" When I was yet a child, no childish play 
To me was pleasing ; all my mind was set 
' Serious to learn and know, and thence to do 
What might be public good ; myself I thought 
Born to that end, born to promote all truth, 
All righteous things : therefore above my years, 
The law of God I read, and found it sweet, 
Made it my whole delight." 

Happy Mary ! Blessed mother of a more blessed Son ! And happy are 
we, as pilgrims, to behold His abiding place and to trace His pathways ; but 



166 



THE YOUTH OF JESUS. 



above all, as He Himself declared, 1 Yea, rather blessed are they that hear His 
word and keep it.' 

How often, in His youth, had His steps been directed hither, while His 
kinsmen and His townsmen little recked of the Prophet that was among them ! 
He had walked forth in these fields to meditate at even-tide, and had climbed 
those mountains to hold communion with His Father. In secret His spirit 
ripened : 

" His life 

Private, unactive, calm, contemplative," 

had raised little suspicion of ulterior greatness. Like many good men He grew 
in quiet, His footsteps were noiseless even in secluded Nazareth, and like the 
good harvest, bending low in the fields, He grew full and ripe by humility. 
Then from these valleys and hills He walked forth among men ; and out of the 
vast treasure-house of His poverty, lowliness, sufferings and death, bestowed 
upon all who followed Him through these, their precious fruits also, riches and 
happiness, heavenly honors and immortal life. Come ! let us up out of the 
valley, and climb Mount Tabor, following His example, though the way be 
toilsome, that we too, in our measure, may be permitted to converse with 
prophets, and to look upon the face of God ! 



founinj from ^arrtlj ^rongji dalilet 

April 20th. — I went this morning to bid farewell to my kind physician, and 
to urge upon him some remuneration for his services. He was busily engaged 
in his laboratory, preparing medicines, and with a number of patients around. 
Christians, Jews and Mohammedans are all treated alike, and from none of 
them is any compensation demanded ; whether it would generally be received 
or not, I am ignorant. In my case, the worthy monk, in a most courteous and 



FAREWELL TO NAZARETH. 



167 



affectionate manner, refused to take the money which I offered ; but upon my 
suggesting that it might be applied to the relief of the poor, he accepted it 
with many thanks, as if he, and not myself, had been laid under an obligation. 

We left the hospice of the convent with a grateful remembrance of the com- 
fort we had enjoyed there, and though with no increased inclination to tolerate the 
grievous superstitions and errors we had every where noticed, yet with higher 
respect for the benevolent institutions founded and sustained by the Church of 
Eome ; with admiration for the liberality and wisdom with which they are con- 
ducted, and with earnest hopes that our own Church would add to her reformed 
faith and purified system of worship, such charitable institutions, but adapted 
to our own social state, that the world might see our 1 good works and glorify 
our Father which is in heaven/ 

Two English gentlemen, who had been our companions at Jerusalem, and 
had taken a route different from ours to Nazareth, joined us this morning, and 
by their intelligence and agreeable manners, added much to the pleasure of the 
remainder of our journey through Palestine. 

MOUNT TAB OK. 

Our first object was the ascent of Mount Tabor, which lies to the east of 
Nazareth, and about two hours, or between six and seven miles away. 
Viewed from a distance, in different directions, it seems to be entirely insulated, 
a conical mountain upon a plain ; but we found it to be connected by a ridge 
of hilly ground, with the basin of mountains which embosom Nazareth. This 
ridge was well covered with trees, a species of oak. From the base of the 
mountain the first part of the ascent is gradual, but it grows much steeper as 
you proceed ; so much so indeed, that you are obliged to take a winding course, 
and even then, toward the summit, the path is very precipitous. The difficulty 
is increased by the tangled thickets of shrubs through which, in many places, 
you have to force your way. We were repeatedly obliged to dismount and 
lead the horses, and once, this precaution having been neglected, my horse, in 



168 



THE KUINS ON MOUNT TABOR. 



attempting to scramble over a rocky ledge, fell beneath me ; but I escaped with 
only a slight bruise. 

This remarkable mountain is said to present a different contour as seen from 
opposite points of view ; but all concur in representing it as standing alone and 
disconnected with the mountains in its vicinity. Thus speaks a traveller who 
had approached it by various paths : " Tabor is a truly graceful mountain, but 
presents a very different appearance when viewed from different sides. This 
accounts for the great diversity in the representations given of it. From the 
north, it had the appearance of the segment of a sphere, and appeared beauti- 
fully wooded on the summit, affording retreats to the animals for whom £ the 
net was spread on Tabor.' From the west, it is like a truncated cone, appear- 
' ing much steeper and higher, with the southern side almost destitute of trees. 
But on all sides it is a marked and prominent object, as the prophet intimates, 
when he says, as Tabor is among the mountains." As we had approached 
from the west, we were not disappointed at finding the top of " the truncated 
cone" a noble and extensive platform. Its height has been variously estimated at 
from one thousand to two thousand feet above the level of the plain. We agree 
with Dr. Eobinson in giving it the lesser altitude. Amongst the high grass, the 
briers and copses of shrubs, with trees interspersed, we found massive ruins, 
some of them, probably, the remains of fortifications ; for this ground, in con- 
sequence of its commanding site, had from the earliest times been a military 
position. Here it was that Barak, the son of Abinoam, assembled his forces 
to contend with Sisera ; hence, at the command of Deborah, 1 he went down 
from Mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him,' and achieved his great 
victory on the plain of Esdraelon. (Judges iv.) During the Eoman Empire, 
and also throughout the crusades, this was always a prominent military posi- 
tion. But portions of these ruins were doubtless the foundations of churches, 
and monasteries erected here to commemorate the Transfiguration of our Lord. 
This mystery is still celebrated in a yearly festival by the monks of Nazareth, 
who, on its anniversary, make a procession to Mount Tabor, and there perform 
masses. The place they select is probably the site of one of those three 
churches erected by command of the Empress Helena, in allusion to the words 



THE VIEW FROM MOUNT TABOE. 



169 



of St. Peter, ' Lord, it is good for us to be liere : if Tliou wilt, let us make here 
three tabernacles ; one for Thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.' But 
all that now remains to mark the position of these edifices is a square, cellar- 
like area, with a rude stone altar, and a vault near by with three niches con- 
taining altars. 

After haying walked about for some time amongst these ruins, which it 
would take more antiquarian knowledge than we possessed to appropriate to 
their respective architects — the Jews, the Eomans, Josephus, the warrior-histo- 
rian, who fortified the top of Tabor, the Christians and the Saracens, we seated 
ourselves upon the highest point we could reach to contemplate the wide pano- 
rama. TVe were particularly fortunate in the day,— one of bright sunshine, a 
clear atmosphere, and perfect calm. Our English friends were seated with us, 
and by the aid of our own glasses, with the more powerful telescope furnished 
by one of them, the most distant objects were brought near. On the- north we 
saw the snowy summit of the greater Hermon : nearer still, but more to the 
east, the high ground which forms the basin of the Sea of Galilee, with a 
glimpse onlv of its southern margin : a little to the west that remarkable moun- 
tain whose long summit, terminated by two prominences, like the pommels of 
a saddle, once seen can never be forgotten, the Mount of Beatitudes. On the 
west were the hills of Nazareth, but that sacred spot was too deep amongst 
then recesses to be seen. To the southwest lay the broad expanse of the plain 
of Esdraelon, bounded by the long range of Carmel. Carrying the eye round 
the farthest borders of this plain, the mountains of Israel close the view upon 
the south. Nearer to us, and somewhat more to the east, are the mountains of 
Gilboa, and between them and us the sides of the lesser Hermon. Upon their 
slopes two remarkable places were pointed out. One of these was Endor, 
where Saul went to consult the woman who had a familiar spirit. Our spy- 
glass brought it so near that we could distinctly mark a dark spot, having all 
the appearance of a cave in the side of the hill. A tradition, with probably as 
much truth in it as many others that we have heard, says that here the witch 
of Endor resided, and was visited by the unhappy king upon his unlawful er- 
rand. To the west of this is another traditionary spot, which has both a far 

22 



170 



TWO ABMIES OF CEANES. 



deeper interest connected with it, and a far better foundation of truth for its 
support^ the site of Nain. It is now a very small and obscure village, but 
while looking at it we recalled that touching narrative of the widow, going out 
from one of its gates, to lay her only son in the tomb. "When met by Jesus 
her mourning was turned into joy, and her desolate home made glad by the 
entrance of him who had just before been carried out on his bier. Many other 
places our eyes passed over, that are prominent in Scripture history, but in 
some instances their identification is a matter of great uncertainty, and of sev- 
eral no traces are left, and even their position has been utterly forgotten. Thus 
the site of Cana of Galilee, where the first miracle of our Saviour was per- 
formed, is generally supposed to be identical with Kefr Kana, a small village 
below us, on the road from Nazareth to Tiberias ; but Dr. Eobinson has ad- 
vanced very plausible reasons for connecting the tradition with another place, 
Kana el-Jelil, somewhat farther off. "We had not the satisfaction then, of 
fixing upon many localities with that degree of certainty that adds such interest 
to the sight of them. But from the Sea of Gralilee and the Mount of Beati- 
tudes, to the hills of Nazareth ; and from there to the site of Nain, our eyes 
could wander over a region where some of our Lord's mightiest works were 
done ; where He travelled and taught most, and where so large a portion of the 
brief period of His active ministry was passed, 

"While we were upon this commanding station, overlooking a region so 
closely associated with sacred history, the eye was occasionally drawn from the 
plains and hills below, to a beautiful and to us a very novel sight in the air. 
In the east, two immense flocks of cranes were seen poised in majestic flight, 
over the valley of the Jordan. Their movements were slow and orderly, and 
seemed like the evolutions of two mighty armies, now wheeling, now in close 
columns, then displaying the column in a long line to the right or the left ; 
again forming themselves into a wedge-like battalion. The numbers of these 
birds must have been immense, and their white wings reflecting the sun, gave 
them a most brilliant appearance. 

"Part loosely wing the region, part more wise, 
In common, ranged in figure, wedge their way, 



THE MOUNT OE TRANSFIGURATION. 



171 



Intelligent of seasons, and set forth 

Their airy caravan high over seas 

Flying, and over lands with mutual wing 

Easing their flight ; so steers the prudent crane 

Her annual voyage, borne on winds ; the air 

Floats as they pass, fanned with unnumbered plumes." 

The remarkable form of Tabor, the magnificent view from its summit of so 
many places of historical interest, would alone amply repay the traveller for 
the labor of the ascent ; but as pilgrims, and the children of a Faith that was 
given to men in this land, there was a sacred interest to us in standing upon 
the Mount of Transfiguration. For whatever objections may be urged to the 
identity of the spot with the scene of that mysterious transaction, there is a 
strong probability in behalf of the universal tradition which has, for many 
ages, established its site upon Tabor ; and no other place has been pointed out 
for so memorable a passage in the life of our Lord. Or if the tradition itself 
be of comparatively recent origin, that is, extending no farther back than the 
fourth or fifth century, yet we must remember that we thus express our actual 
positive knowledge only of a belief that might have existed earlier than any his- 
torical mention of it. It may have been received among Christians in the Holy 
Land, without having been recorded, before the time of Cyril or Jerome, as 
writers were rare in the early age of Christianity, especially in reference to 
places more remote from Jerusalem, and before the period of so diligent a trav- 
eller and observer as St. Jerome. Indeed, the only objection that appears plau- 
sible at first sight, arises from the existence of an ancient city and fortress upon 
the mountain anterior to the time of Christ ; but this fact would not exclude 
the idea of a retired spot upon the same very extensive table-summit, and the 
Scriptures do not state that the Transfiguration took place in the open air ; but 
only that Jesus took the three disciples up into a high mountain apart by them- 
selves. The objection then, has, in our minds, too little weight to overthrow, 
even if it somewhat weaken, the consenting testimony of almost fifteen hundred 
years, joined to the silence of the earlier period, which, in itself, argues an oral 
tradition ; for how could Jerome or Cyril begin to call Tabor the Mount of 



172 



MOSES, ELIAS, AND CHRIST. 



Transfiguration without fear of contradiction? Besides, the place must have 
excited much earlier attention, not only on account of an unparalleled event in 
the life of the Lord, but because St. Peter had expressly spoken of it already 
as ' the holy mount.' 

At least, while we were ascending the mountain and standing upon its 
remarkable summit, the scene appeared, in every way, suited to the mystery. 
A remarkable hill, of a peculiar formation, standing apart from its fellows, 
seems to rise like an altar upon the plain, upon whose "secret top" one would 
love to hold communion with Glod. Nowhere could the rest of the world be 
more shut out than here ; in no place does earth seem to approach nearer to 
heaven. Here is a mountain made ready for that sacred intercourse with the 
skies, when the translated Prophet who had gone up in a chariot of fire, and 
the great Lawgiver, whose face did shine in the mount of Grod, now returned to 
converse with Him who was Himself the fulfilment of prophecy, and the end 
of the law. Here, we stood nearer to the skies ; and could almost imagine " a 
door opened in heaven, " and behold the unimpeded approach of Moses and Elias. 
Something of the same feeling which was expressed by St. Peter, might have 
filled our hearts, as these thoughts glowed within us, and we not only exclaimed 
"It is good for us to be here," but a strong desire arose to remain, that we 
might behold the sun rising and setting upon the holy mount, and meditate yet 
farther on the wondrous countenance and the shining garments of our blessed 
Lord, With reluctance we prepared to leave the place, where He whose steps 
upon earth we have delighted to follow, seemed, in anticipation of His future 
glorious Ascension, to be almost beginning His return to the skies ; and while 
yet, in man's form and garments upon earth, to wear once more the aspect and 
the raiment of the glorified inhabitants of heaven. 

But the day was drawing on, and we had sent our servants, with the 
caravan, to pitch the tents and .prepare for our sojourn at Tiberias, and were 
therefore compelled to begin the descent from Mount Tabor. There were yet 
five hours between us and our destination, and it wa,s already past the middle 
of the day. Viewed from the mountain, the whole of the intervening distance 
seemed to lay before us, spread out like a level plain ; but the path proved to 
be undulating and over ground broken into great inequalities. 



FIRST VIEW OF THE SEA OF GALILEE. 



US 



The Mount of Beatitudes was nearly before us, and, as we continued our 
journey, it was in constant view upon the left hand, inviting us to ascend and 
behold the place where the Lord gathered the multitudes, and taught them 
words of quietness and peace ; and it would not have been without interest to 
behold the spot below, where all His teachings were forgotten or disregarded, 
when, in the battle of the Plain of Hattin, the victorious Saladin trampled 
upon the prowess of the Crusaders, already broken because they would not 
listen to the voice of the peace-makers. The singular peculiarity in the shape 
of this mountain, of which I have already spoken, has given it the modern 
appellation of the " Horns of Hattin." We should have felt a greater interest 
still in looking upon the scene of that wonderful miracle, where He, who was 
Himself the true Bread that came down from heaven, fed the famishing 
multitude with a few loaves and fishes. 

But we were obliged, however unwillingly, to pass by, as the shortness of 
the time urged us to pursue our journey. Wearied, as well by the excitement 
and variety of interesting thoughts, as by the toilsome day's ride, we began to 
feel as we went up and down the hills, that we should never reach our encamp- 
ment. But all our fatigue was forgotten for the moment when we halted upon 
the last eminence, where the glorious view of the Sea of Galilee burst upon us. 
Like an unbroken circle lay the sleeping lake ; not a breeze of air disturbed its 
surface, and not a sail was visible upon it. The hills were reflected from its 
calm, clear. bosom; but no signs of life appeared in this once populous and busy 
region, save the city of Tiberias, which like many Eastern towns looked well, 
at least, in the distance, and lay now at our feet on the borders of the Sea. By 
a rapid and rocky descent we were glad, as quickly as possible, to reach our 
tents which were already pitched without the walls of Tiberias. 

THE CITIES AND THE SEA OF GALILEE. 

The country around the Sea of Galilee offers a strong contrast between 
ancient prosperity and actual desolation. The historian of the Jewish war has 



174 



GALILEE THE AMBITION OP NATUKE. 



left us an eloquent and glowing description of the fertility and loveliness of this 
once highly favored region. His account of the lake itself is graphic and 
beautiful : "Its waters are sweet, and very agreeable for drinking; the lake is 
also pure, and on every side ends directly at the shores and at the sand. The 
water is also temperate when you draw it up, and of a more gentle nature than 
river or fountain water, and yet always cooler than one would expect in so 
diffuse a place as this is ; now when this water is kept in the open air, it is as 
cold as that snow which the country people are accustomed to make by night 
in summer." A more vivid picture still is presented of the fruitfulness of the 
surrounding country, in which the lake lies as in a basin. The air is tempered 
so that it suits many varieties of trees ; the walnut, which grows here plenti- 
fully, requiring a cool atmosphere, and the palm-tree which flourishes best 
under a warmer sky ; and these are mingled with olives and fig-trees that 
rejoice in a temperate clime. A happy contention of the seasons, compelling 
plants of an opposite nature to grow together, is the genial character given by 
Josephus to this place, which he calls by a strong but expressive phrase, " the 
ambition of nature." 

"We are told that grapes and figs are produced in abundance, and ripen to- 
gether during ten months of the year, and that inexhaustible fountains water 
the land! Even if there be some poetry mingled here with the gravity of his- 
torical description, it is evident that the general beauty and fertility of the 
country were once very great, and especially when contrasted with its present 
aspect. These shores were then the seat of populous cities and villages, whose 
inhabitants were blest with prosperity and plenty. The lake was alive with a 
little fleet of fishing and ferry boats, which drew up the treasures out of its 
pure waters, or conveyed the inhabitants, with the merchandise of an inland 
commerce, between the thriving villages and towns upon the coast. Here stood 
the cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida, and here Capernaum, by the pride of its 
inhabitants, seemed to be exalted to heaven. Here the Son of Man found 
multitudes to hear and thousands to disregard His message, and few followers 
save those whom He chose, as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, from the 
humble ranks of the fishermen. But even these have departed now ; for 



CHOKAZIN BETHSAIDA CAPERNAUM. 



175 



though, as we rode along the shores, we observed that the clear waters teemed 
with such a multitude of fishes as we never before saw, crowded in their native 
element, yet there is but one poor crazy ferry boat remaining, scarcely a fisher- 
man, and but a small population. For of all the cities, towns and villages that 
smiled around the Sea of Galilee, the mean-looking and ruinous Tiberias almost 
alone is left, and the earthquake which ruined Safed, has thrown down the 
walls even here. Whence all this unusual and fearful desolation ? Look to 
the mountain where He taught, to the sea whence He preached to the people, 
to the shores once pressed by His holy footsteps ; think of what He was and 
why He came, and then mourn over that blind and obstinate unbelief which 
forced from the lips of the Saviour after He had honored these cities with ' most 
of His mighty works' the awful denunciations, ' Woe unto thee, Chorazin ! woe 
unto thee, Bethsaida ! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had 
been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth 
and ashes. But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon 
at the day of judgment than for you.' Even if this fearful sentence had been 
spoken of temporal calamities only, it would still have great force ; for the 
desolate sites of Tyre and Sidon are at least known, but so complete has been 
the fulfilment of the judgment against Chorazin and Bethsaida, that their very 
places have been blotted out from the memory of man. The doom of Caper- 
naum is pronounced with the declaration that even Sodom would have been 
spared, believing His works and His words. 

Indeed, the desolation of the Dead Sea region itself seems hardly greater 
than the solitude of the once populous Grennesareth. The features of nature, 
it is true, the fertility of the soil, the sweetness of the waters, the riches of the 
lake, remain ; but a people once powerful enough to contest with a navy, such 
as those times afforded, the right of Yespasian, upon the Sea of Galilee ; they, 
and their cities and their villages, their wealth and their prosperity have gone 
down together to the solitude and silence of the grave. The hand of cultiva- 
tion, the hum of commerce, all the voices of prosperity have ceased ; but the 
woe pronounced by the rejected, though Divine Teacher, hangs like a cloud 
over the devoted land ; and the pilgrim, pursuing his solitary way, feels that 



176 



HAMATH TIBEEIAS MAGDALA. 



the terrible potency of that withering curse is not yet exhausted upon the 
borders of the Sea of Galilee ! 

April 21st. — Early this morning we arose with the intention of visiting the 
mineral baths, which are some two miles south of Tiberias. About two miles 
farther south is the outlet of the Jordan, which is said to pass through the sea 
of Galilee without mixing with its waters, a tradition derived no doubt from 
the swiftness of the river. The Arab name of the hot baths, together with a 
passage in the book of Joshua, conspire to induce the belief that the ancient 
Hamath was here ; so that we may now ask the question of the taunting Assyr- 
ian with startling emphasis, ' Where is the king of Hamath V Even the site 
of his city is but a bathing-house. 

We went around and through the city of Tiberias, and notwithstanding its 
name and the associations connected with it, found it a most miserable and 
filthy place. The mean houses, as well as the walls of the town, were crum- 
bling in all directions, the effect of the earthquake of 1837 ; nor after twelve 
years did there appear any evidence of an attempt to repair the damage. The 
place contains some fifteen hundred inhabitants, and the houses extend down to 
the water's edge ; but on inquiry we could not find, in ail the town, even a boat 
to go out upon a beautiful lake, stocked with fish ! No supply of the last 
could be obtained ! And yet this miserable village, or city by courtesy, was 
once a famous seat of learning, and even now is not without its Eabbis. Soon 
it will follow Chorazin and Bethsaida, and the beautiful Sea be left to entire 
desolation. 

Our road extended along the margin of the lake, and sometimes when we 
were on high ground, we could look down into it. So clear were its waters 
that we could trace distinctly the movements of multitudes of fishes. We now 
passed through a poor little village called Mejdel ; and although there is much 
uncertainty as to the sites of the ancient towns and villages upon this sea, both 
the name and the situation of this one concur to point it out as the Magdala of 
the New Testament, and the birth-place or home of Mary Magdalene. Caper- 
naum must have been situated between this village and the northern boundary 
of the lake, but all researches have been vain to discover even its site, with the 



THE PIT OF JOSEPH. 



17? 



least degree of certainty. As we drew near the northern extremity, the high 
lands that closed it in seemed to open to make way for a fine stream from the 
northwest, which watered an extensive plain. The borders of this little river 
were fringed with flourishing oleanders. The day being warm, and this a 
pleasant spot, we here enjoyed a refreshing bath in the waters of the Sea of 
Grahlee. The road now ascending the high grounds upon the north of the Sea, 
Tabor and the Mount of Beatitudes once more became visible. Indeed the 
latter seemed to force itself upon our notice wherever we were. It was in 
sight all day yesterday, and except when hidden for a short time by other hills, 
during the whole of this day also, as if to preserve in our minds the memory 
of the sermon of our blessed Lord. 

At the extreme northern boundary of the lake there are said to be some 
remarkable ruins at a place now called Tell Hum. These have given rise to a 
supposition that here may be the site of Capernaum. But to visit them would 
take us from the direct route ; and as, from all we have been able to ascertain, 
there is now little probability of determining the position of those cities, made 
so prominent in the New Testament by our Lord's denunciations, we did not 
diverge from the course. We had intended to make our brief rest, in the 
middle of the day, at a large Khan, upon the direct road to Damascus, called 
Jubb Yousouff, or the Pit of Joseph, because, for many ages, it has been 
thought the scene of that eventful transaction, the selling of Joseph to the 
Midianite merchantmen. The tradition is equally received by Christians and 
Mohammedans. There is here a large tank of water, and the building near it 
is quite extensive. In one of its enclosures was said to be. the pit or well, 
which, though dry when Joseph was let down into it by his unnatural brethren, 
now affords a good supply of water. But the whole place was filled with sheep 
and black cattle, driven from the surrounding hills, to be watered and sheltered 
during the heat of the day. Besides, the appearance of the wild-looking shep- 
herds and herdsmen, who were assembled in considerable numbers, was so 
suspicious that we thought it best not to leave our horses and make any inves- 
tigations ; so after watering them at the tank we pursued our journey. The 
legend which assigns this spot to the story of Joseph, Professor Eobinson gives 

23 



178 



WORDS OF JESUS BY THE WAY. 



his reasons for pronouncing a clumsy invention ; but a former traveller, Dr. 
Eichardson, treats it with, more consideration: "This is a long way from 
Hebron for the sons of Jacob to go to feed their herds, and a still farther way 
for a solitary youth, like Joseph, to be sent by his father in quest of them. 
They had, first of all, gone to Shechem, which is about two days and a half 
from Hebron. It lay in the route then, as well as now, from Horan to Egypt. 
This pit, or Dothan, is nearly about the same distance from Shechem that 
Shechem is from Hebron ; namely, about two days and a half or three days' 
journey. The ancient patriarchs pastured their flocks and herds along the 
whole of this tract, and by Bethel and Ai, which lie to the south of Shechem, 
and I should consider it not at all improbable that Jubb Yousouff may really 
have been the scene of the infamous transaction above alluded to. It is like- 
wise situated on one of the principal roads from Mount Grilead, from which the 
Ishmaelites were travelling with their camels, bearing spicery and balm and 
myrrh, going to carry it down into Egypt ; and they bought Joseph for twenty 
pieces of silver, and carried him along with them." 

In addition to the interest awakened by the reflection that the treason here 
wrought, by the brethren of Joseph, against their father and brother, and the 
price for which he was sold, bear a strong resemblance to the treachery of 
Judas, and the price paid for his sin against God and his Master, it did not 
escape our notice that the Lord Himself seems to have traced that resemblance, 
when He was probably near the scene of this unnatural traffic. For as He had 
recently healed the blind man at Bethsaida, and went out thence into the towns 
of Cesarea Philippi, this must have been the way which He took. Always 
ready to call attention to the things written concerning Him, ' by the way He 
asked His disciples saying unto them, whom do men say that I am?' And 
after Peter had made the remarkable, because early confession, that He was the 
Messiah, 'He began to teach them,' foretelling the treason against Him, his 
sufferings, death and resurrection : all typified by the sale, incarceration and 
exaltation of Joseph. ' The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be 
1 rejected of the elders, and - of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and 
after three days rise again. And He spake that saying openly;' thus pub- 



SACKED THORN SAFED. 179 

lishing for the first time the wonderful prophecy of His passion and His 
triumph. 

It was on this journey then, or in ! the coasts of Cesarea Philippi,' that 
Simon Peter declared 1 Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God !' Here, 
too, the Lord announced His kingdom: 'And Jesus answered and said unto 
him, blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona ! for flesh and blood hath not revealed 
it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, 
that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church ;' a prophecy 
remarkably fulfilled on the day of Pentecost, when Peter proclaimed to the 
multitude the terms of admission into the new kingdom of God, which was 
then for ever established, confirmed and baptized with fire, by the miraculous 
descent of the Holy Ghost ; and since that time the Lord has 1 added to the 
church daily such as should be saved.' 

Our road was over a region of high, undulating land, fertile by nature, but 
now lying waste, or used only as ranges for the pasturage of flocks and herds, 
and in some places abundantly covered with weeds and thistles. Amongst 
these we saw large quantities of that thorny shrub which bears the name of 
spina sancta, from the supposition that the Saviour's crown of thorns was made 
from it. Its branches, with their short, angular points armed with triple thorns, 
would form just such a cruel chaplet as the artist has placed upon the head of 
our blessed Saviour. Had our time permitted we should have ascended to 
Safed, a city held in special reverence by the Jews, and which, though so ele- 
vated, and, as it might seem, beyond the reach of danger, yet was more severely 
shaken than any other part of the country over which the terrible earthquake 
of 1837 was felt. At a distance, the white walls of its ruined buildings, reflect- 
ing the sun, would excite no suspicion of the desolation it has suffered, and, 
more than any place we have seen, it answers to the description of a ' city set on 
a hill which cannot be hid.' But we were obliged to leave it on our left, 
and direct our way more to the east, in order to cross the river Jordan at 
J acob's bridge, and encamp there for the night. 

Soon after our arrival, and while the tents were preparing, we perceived a 
company of twelve or fourteen horsemen approaching, who with much display 



180 



FAKEWELL TO THE LAND OF PEOMISE. 



and noise, arising from the clattering of their swords and horse-trappings, ap- 
peared to be attending and guarding a person of some dignity. A Mussulman 
of middle age and of commanding presence dismounted, and being informed 
that he was the Governor of Damascus, we saluted him, a courtesy which he 
gracefully returned by laying his hand upon his heart. While his servants 
were pitching his tents, not far from ours, one of them spread his segadeh or 
prayer-carpet under a tree, and the functionary, attended by a dervish, imme- 
diately occupied himself with his devotions. It is the well-known custom of 
Mohammedans to pray five times a day without the least regard to places or 
persons. 

Here we were encamped upon the upper Jordan, within sight of Lake 
Merom, not far from Cesarea Philippi and the foot of Hermon, whence the 
river takes its rise. To-morrow we should leave the Jordan for ever, and 
though the stream is here both shallow and very rapid, we prepared ourselves 
for our evening rest by bathing, for the last time, in its sacred waters. 

April 22d.— Again the shortness of our time, and the necessity for reaching 
Beyrout upon a certain day, obliged us to omit an excursion which otherwise 
we should gladly have made, viz., to follow the Jordan up to its sources, passing 
along the borders of the small lake El Huleh, the Merom, at whose waters 
Joshua smote Jabin king of Hazor and the Canaanites ; and thence to the 
coasts or towns of Cesarea Philippi, which, with the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, 
form the northern limits of our Lord's journey ings. But of these only a gen- 
eral mention is made in the New Testament, and we cannot, as in Galilee, 
Samaria and Judea, revive the memory of His pathways or abiding places. 
Unless when He crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, we have no 
reason to suppose that He ever, and especially here, went beyond the Jordan. 
Our pilgrimage, therefore, through the land consecrated by His bodily presence, 
ended last evening as we passed the sacred stream. And this morning leaving 
our encampment by break of day, when we reached the summit of the steep 
and lofty ridge at whose base the river runs, the sun was rising, and we waited, 
for a while, to see his beams once more and for the last time lighting up the 
hills and valleys of the Land of Promise. 



ifonraw} from fyi ICanh premise to laraasraB, 

The narrative of our pilgrimage might here be brought to its termination ; 
but as it was introduced by a sketch of the journey from Egypt, so may a few 
pages be devoted not without interest, we would hope, to a brief record of the 
concluding incidents of our visit to the East. 

The country was now so rich in pasturage, so well covered with noble trees, 
not in forests, but scattered, orchard-like, and was refreshed with small brooks 
and springs, at frequent intervals, offering in these particulars such a contrast 
to large portions of the land we had just left, that frequent exclamations of 
delight burst from us. The Governor of Damascus, who had encamped near 
us last evening, soon overtook us, being with his train admirably well mounted. 
He courteously saluted us as he passed : but in a short time we came up and 
found him dismounted, and kneeling side by side with his dervish and several 
of his attendants, under a wide-spread tree, earnestly engaged in his devotions. 
How often could it happen with us that a great man would stop his journey for 
his prayers ; or that even those engaged in the ordinary occupations of life, 
would be found in the courts of the house of Grod, when the daily service invited 
them to approach His altars ! 

"We came once more within sight of the snowy top of Hermon, and soon 
the whole mountain was distinctly seen from the base to the summit. Here 
then, seemed to be a suitable place to worship Him who dwelleth not in temples 
made with hands : 

Praesentiorem et conspicirmis Deum 
Per invias rapes, fera per juga, 

Clivosque praeruptos, sonantes 

Inter aquas, nemorumque noctem ; 
Quam si repostus sub trabe citrea 
Fulgeret auro. 



182 



SUNDAY NEAR MOUNT HERMON. 



Or, if a translation of Gray's sublime ode might be attempted : 

Mid pathless rocks, on savage hills, 

By broken cliffs, where waters roar, 
How awful God the bosom fills! 

We see Him and adore ; 
No gorgeous temple homage moves 
Like the deep twilight of the groves. 

Upon such a spot and in sight of a hill whose very name of Hermon recalled 
that beautiful passage where the Church prays for 1 the continual dew ' of God's 
blessing upon her pastors, our tents were pitched, and one of them became our 
Sunday tabernacle. One of our friends being a clergyman of the Church of 
England, we now united with him, as he had before done with us, in celebrating 
the daily service. 

April 23d. — If, as some one has poetically said, a long companionship with 
mountains makes them our friends, we certainly should be dead to such influ- 
ences had we not begun to form an attachment to Hermon. That mountain's 
name had been familiar to us from childhood, and had been associated with 
some of the most beautiful imagery wherewith sacred themes had been invested 
by the' inspired Psalmist. His summit, literally covered with the snows of 
ages, we had seen often, at a far distance from G-erizim and Tabor, and the 
region around Galilee, and now we were brought into his very presence. His 
venerable form stood fully revealed to our reverential sight. Yesterday the 
mountain seemed to stand in silent majesty, to encourage and deepen our devo- 
tions. Through the night we could see his form, with his head amongst the 
stars, as he appeared to keep watch over our camp, and now, as the sun lighted 
up his aged face and whitened locks, he almost spoke in cheerful salutation to 
encourage us on our way. For some time he accompanied us on the left of our 
march, and we frequently turned to gaze upon him as he gradually withdrew, 
until at length we were constrained to bid him our last farewell. 

The route lay over a dreary region, strewn with a dark-colored volcanic 
stone. We frequently crossed, and occasionally, for a short distance, travelled 



ARKIVAL AT DAMASCUS. 



183 



upon an ancient road paved with this stone, once doubtless the highway from 
Cesarea Philippi to Damascus. At Sassa the country began to wear a different 
and more inviting aspect. This was a singular looking place. Four walls, of 
considerable height, and in tolerably good preservation, with octagonal towers 
at the corners, formed a perfect square, and seemed to indicate a town of some 
importance, but going a short distance through the principal gateway, we found 
only poor hovels and a wretched looking population. Close by, however, 
flowed an abundant and rapid stream, and spread itself through an extensive 
fertile plain, upon which we now entered. Cultivated fields and groves of olive 
trees soon gave evidence that we were approaching a rich and well peopled 
region. The position of Damascus was pointed out, but for a long time we 
could see in the distance a mass of trees only, like a dense forest, with a slender 
minaret here and there overtopping them. As we drew nigh the seeming 
forest, we found it to be a wide belt of magnificent gardens, by which this 
famous city of the East is encircled. For an hour we rode through continuous 
lanes, or avenues rather, as their width might entitle them to be called, bordered 
by rude walls, built of large square blocks of mud, of the color of unburnt 
brick. But within these enclosures were countless numbers of the most beau- 
tiful and majestic trees we had ever seen: the olive, the almond, the walnut, 
and apricots of immense size. Frequent brooks too, ran by our side or crossed 
the path, affording an abundant supply of water to nourish this mass of deep 
and perpetual verdure. So magnificent a setting seemed to promise that encir- 
cled within we should find the pearl of cities. But when, at last, we arrived at 
the gate, we were greatly disappointed. It was mean looking and ruinous. 
The houses, to outward appearance, were built only with a rough coat of cream- 
colored mud or clay, and the streets were narrow and dirty. Through these 
we rode for a weary distance, and at last came to the quarter where the princi- 
pal bazaars are situated. Here are narrow crooked streets, for the most part 
covered with awnings to protect them from the sun, and bordered on both sides 
by small shops. Upon a raised bench in front sits the owner, cross-legged, 
within reach of his wares, calmly smoking his pipe and waiting for customers. 
It was here, as in Cairo, a constant source of wonder to us, how the business 



184 



MOHAMMEDAN POLITENESS. 



and intercourse of so large a population could be carried on in such narrow 
thoroughfares. They are not more than from eight to ten feet wide, some of 
them less. Even of this space the low platforms in front of the shops take up a 
considerable portion ; and yet horses, donkeys, loaded camels, arid a constant 
crowd of men and women seem to get along without interference with each 
other, or with such as are standing at the shops chaffering for goods. We rode 
through in single file, the way seeming to be perfectly blocked up at every step, 
yet we were never stopped, although our legs and the flanks of our horses were 
in constant contact with the multitudes through whom we brushed our way. 
Nor, in this crowd of the most bigoted of Mohammedan cities, were we once 
insulted or even uncomfortably stared at. On the contrary, on one occasion, 
when by reason of the crowd I had for a moment lost sight of my companions, 
and was about to take a wrong direction, two or three turbaned men began to 
speak to me earnestly, and seeing that I did not understand, one of them took 
my horse's head and kindly turned him into the right way, with a motion to 
me to hasten on. In this respect the manners of the people are greatly 
changed. Not many years ago one dressed in the Frank costume could hardly 
escape being pelted in the streets ; and at the gates of the city such travellers 
were obliged to dismount and walk. Now I am confident that a Turk, or any 
one in an unusual dress, would be more stared at and spoken of in the streets of 
New- York, in one hour, than we were during the whole of our sojourn in Cairo 
and Damascus ; and I am constrained to believe that a Mussulman mob would 
prove to be better mannered and more tolerant than a mob of Christians in any 
of our large cities. 

We stopped near a mud-plastered wall, which, like most of the buildings in 
Damascus, was what one of our English friends humorously described as 
" wattle and dab." It was pierced for two or three small grated windows, and a 
low, narrow doorway, little more imposing in appearance than that of a common 
hovel. This was uninviting enough. We dismounted, however, as we were 
told by the dragoman that this was our hotel ! The door was open, and the 
host, having had intimation of our approach, was ready to receive us, and salu- 
ted us in Italian, being quite accustomed to travellers, as he had once been 



A PLEASING DISAPPOINTMENT. 



185 



himself a courier and dragoman. He had just set up this establishment as an 
experiment We followed him through the entrance, which barely admitted 
one at a time. Within was a narrow, gloomy passage, with a descent of several 
steps, as though it led to a damp, dirty cellar. We had scarcely time, however, 
to be sensible of the chill and repulsion that such a reception would naturally 
produce. But instead of some gloomy, muddy court-yard, we came at once 
upon a large, cheerful area, nagged with white marble ; in the centre a marble 
basin filled with water, and a small fountain playing within it. Overhanging 
this, with their branches drooping in the water, were several lemon and orange 
trees in full blossom. The area was surrounded, on three sides, by a well built 
house of stone, of Moorish architecture, with a flight of marble steps leading 
up to a terrace. On the fourth side, and covering a high wall, was a superb 
grape vine, mingled with monthly roses, and other fragrant creepers of white 
and yellow flowers. 

We had come from narrow streets, shut out from the sun. Here he shone 
upon us in his splendor, and his rays, reflected from the marble all around, 
would have been too dazzling bright, had not the eye been relieved by the 
grateful contrast of those green, burnished leaves of the lemon and orange. 
The perfumed air, the murmuring fountain, the welcome song of birds, and the 
complete seclusion — what a promise was here of luxurious repose to weary 
travellers, just dismounted after a long and toilsome journey ! But when we 
were ushered into our apartment, all our imaginings of the luxury of Oriental 
life were left far behind. On one side of the area opened a wide doorway of 
marble, with lofty latticed windows on each side. One step, led us up into a 
spacious, vaulted room, with its walls and ceiling incrusted in mosaic, with 
marbles of various color, glass and mother-of-pearl. In the centre was an 
octagonal marble reservoir, about two feet high, and three or four in diameter, 
and here another small fountain was playing and throwing up the water like 
diamond drops. Upon opposite sides were spacious recesses, raised two feet 
above the marble tiling of the floor. Behind a thin drapery of muslin, drawn 
in front of these recesses, each as large as a good sized chamber, were our beds, 
with soft mattresses, and linen of fine texture, and every comfort for the toilet, 

24 



186 



CLASSICAL COMFORT. 



In the dome above, which was between twenty and thirty feet high, were win- 
dows of stained glass, partly opened to produce a current of air. Here indeed, 
were appliances and means to woo the gentle sleep ! The atmosphere was cool, 
constantly renewed, and just made fragrant, but not oppressive, with the fresh 
blossoms of the orange and lemon. The quiet plash of the constant fountain, 
with the murmuring too of bees, attracted by the fragrant flowers that almost 
closed up the windows, added those "finishing sounds" that complete the image 
of tranquillity. Some classical friend, who may perchance read these lines, will 
recall his youthful studies, and if present, would probably, in merry mood, 
quote to me, 

Fortunate senex, hie inter flumina nota, 
Et fontes sacros, frigus captabis opacum ; 
Hinc tibi, quae semper vicino ab limite sepes, 
Hyblseis apibus florem depasta salicti, 
Saepe levi somnum suadebit inire susurro. 

Not "often" indeed, but for two nights, we were easily "persuaded to re- 
freshing sleep" in this delightful apartment. 

DAMASCUS. 

April 24th. — After the refreshment so welcome to weary travellers, we 
were prepared to go forth upon a tour of curiosity into one of the most ancient 
cities in the world. But though Damascus is, beyond question, very old, and 
even rejoices in a tradition which assigns its foundation to a grandson of Noah, 
it would nevertheless be difficult to find a city with so few evidences of anti- 
quity, or so un imposing in external architecture. There are almost literally no 
ruins. To form any idea of the splendor and luxury of some among the one 
hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants of Damascus, it is absolutely necessary 
to obtain a view of their interior life ; and then indeed you understand why 
this city should have been so renowned for wealth and magnificence. Our 
hotel of yesterday gave some intimation of this ; but our experience to-day 



LUXUKY OF DAMASCUS. 



187 



convinced us that the comfortable inn was but an example of an ordinary 
house ; for on visiting the British Consul, Mr. "Wood, we found him inhabiting 
a dwelling arranged in the best style of Oriental splendor. Yet its external 
appearance deserves scarcely a loftier description than that significant one of 
our humorous English friend, as applied to the habitations of Damascus in 
general. We also gained admittance into the far-famed houses of several 
wealthy Jews, but as they are all built and furnished upon the same general 
plan, and doubtless have been so for ages, a brief account of one will give, in 
addition to our notes of yesterday, a sufficient idea of ancient and modern 
Damascene domestic architecture. There is not one instance of the slightest 
attempt at external display, on the contrary, every building exhibited the 
same repulsive dead wall, and very ordinary entrance, like that of a hovel. 

But in the houses of the wealthier classes, this entrance brings you into a 
court, or quadrangle, surrounded by rooms appropriated to the servants. One 
door leads from this court to the hareem, or the apartments exclusively used by 
the women. Upon the other side is the entrance to the principal court, a larger 
quadrangle, in one instance a hundred feet by sixty, with a tesselated pavement, 
a large tank in the centre, around which, as well as in the corners of the court- 
yard, were orange, lemon, pomegranate and citron trees, all in full bloom, with 
jasmines and the roses of Damascus, whence our damask rose derives its name. 
On the four sides of the quadrangle were apartments opening into it ; so that 
the occupants, at their pleasure, could bask in the sun, or find shelter from his 
beams. One of these rooms, larger and more ornamented than the rest, is 
appropriated to receptions. In the centre played a fountain, and the walls and 
lofty vaulted ceiling were covered with arabesque ornaments, in marble, stained 
glass and mother-of-pearl. At one end of this room, on a raised divan, were 
silk-covered cushions for the guests, and all around, in numerous niches, beau- 
tiful jars, Turkish pipes, and many similar ornaments. The mellowed light, 
the fragrant ventilation and the lively fountain gave an indescribable charm to 
the scene. To be served, in such an apartment, with coffee, pipes, sweetmeats 
and iced sherbets, gives one a good idea of the indolent luxury and monotony 
of Oriental life ; for nothing can be more perfectly arranged than these houses 



188 



ST. PAUL IN DAMASCUS ABANA AND PHARPAR. 



for entire seclusion, and the wealthy Damascene has in that great city a fore- 
taste of the Mussulman's paradise. But such a mode of life is little suited to 
Western tastes, morals, habits and activity ; and therefore the British Consul 
occupied apartments fitted up according to English ideas of comfort ; using the 
grand reception room simply for occasions of Oriental state. 

We were near the principal mosque of Damascus at the hour of noon, and 
our attention was directed to a ceremony said to be peculiar to this mosque. 
Six of the Muezzin ascended to the top of the minaret, and walked around the 
gallery, and in a very sonorous voice chanted all together. The effect of their 
voices, as they marched in solemn procession around the balcony, proclaiming 
the hour of prayer towards every quarter, was harmonious and not without a 
certain sublimity. This mosque, like many others in Damascus, had once been 
a Church ; the Cathedral of St. John, and one of the finest buildings of the 
ancient Christians, We were not allowed to enter '; but passing by, we could 
see a very extensive court, surrounded by an arcade supported by Corinthian 
columns, and, like every place here, enlivened by a fountain. 

'No Christian could visit Damascus without reflecting upon the interesting 
events associated with the conversion of St. Paul. To some of the traditionary 
places we made a visit : to 1 the street which is called Straight ; ' to the house 
where St. Paul lodged, and whither Ananias was commanded to go. There is 
now a Church here, entered by a descent of several steps. Near the eastern 
gate of the city we were shown a loophole in the stone wall by which the 
disciples let down the Apostle of the Gentiles in a basket ! At some distance, 
without the walls, the spot is pointed out where he was struck from his horse ; 
but we had no time to visit it, our attention being more particularly directed to 
features of greater certainty. 

Abana and Pharpar we were most desirous of seeing. There is, however, 
no trace left of the names, and these streams are supposed to have been 
branches of the Barrada, a mountain torrent, rising in the heights of Anti- 
Lebanon, and before it reaches Damascus, divided into different branches, 
running through and in every quarter of the city, furnishing it with abundance 
of water. The Abana and Pharpar, supplied by this cool and copious moun- 



FAEEWELL VIEW OF DAMASCUS. 



189 



tain stream, winding among the verdant fields and fragrant groves in which 
Damascus lay embosomed, giving it health and refreshment, and making its 
site such as cities would have been, had Paradise remained, might well be 
contrasted with the solitary and turbid Jordan, in its narrow valley ; and were 
the cure of Naaman's leprosy to have been effected by the simple act of 
washing in the waters of a running stream, there would seem to be some excuse 
for his burst of anger, Are not these ' better than all the waters of Israel ? 
May I not wash in them and be clean ?' 

The remainder of this day and the next were employed in visiting the 
bazaars and manufactories of silk in private houses. The famous steel fabrics 
for which Damascus was once so celebrated, have been long since abandoned. 
The College of the Dervishes, an extensive range of buildings, the gardens of 
the Pasha, and a review of Turkish troops upon a beautiful green plain, 
attracted our attention. But on our return from a ride among the gardens and 
groves in the suburbs, we were much struck by the appearance of a Cafe" not 
far from the walls. It was situated upon a rocky island, reached by a bridge, 
and surrounded on all sides by rushing streams. As evening approached, and 
it began to be lighted up, it furnished a most picturesque object, with the 
Turks reclining at their ease, sipping their coffee, smoking their pipes, doing 
full justice to the freshness of the site, and the coolness of the evening. 

April 26th. — Having enjoyed every moment of our visit to this beautiful 
city, we left it, this morning, not without regret. Our ride through the 
charming environs soon brought us to the village Salahie, than which nothing 
could be more lovely for position, on the side of a hill embosomed in trees, and 
supplied abundantly with water, which fell in various directions in cascades. 
A gradual ascent took us to the summit of that spur of Anti-Lebanon which 
bounds the valley of Damascus on the west. A small building, like a temple, 
occupies the spot whence the Prophet Mohammed is said to have looked down 
upon the beauty of Damascus, and refused to enter, saying, " There is one 
Paradise only for man." The legend has no foundation in truth; for the 
Prophet never had it in his power to enter Damascus, which was not conquered 
by his followers until after his death : no spot, however, could have been chosen 



190 



SCULPTURED KOCKS ZEBDENI. 



better suited to the stor y. For looking down upon that beautiful circle of groves 
in which Damascus is set, the yellow buildings, at this distance, do not betray 
their mean materials, but appear like palaces of solid stone set off by numbers 
of graceful minarets ; and in every direction sparkling streams run among and 
around them, watering also an extensive and fertile plain as far as the eye can 
reach, on the east ; so that nothing is wanting, that an inland town can have, 
to make it seem, from this place, indeed another Eden. 

One could never grow weary of the view; but after contemplating this 
terrestrial Paradise an hour, we were obliged to tear ourselves away. Descend- 
ing the hill we soon came to the river Barrada, which here forces a passage 
through the mountain, and flows towards the plain over which we had just 
been looking. Crossing the stream frequently, but following its general direc- 
tion, we pursued a winding course among the mountains of the Anti-Lebanon 
range, gradually ascending, until just before emerging from the hills, we were 
struck by some remarkable sculptures in the rocks. "Where the hills come near 
together, and are in places almost inaccessible, the face of the rock is sculptured 
into chambers, and a long line, apparently of an aqueduct, cut out of the solid 
stone, reminding us of the drawings we had seen of Petra. We could here 
obtain no farther account of them, save that they are said to be the work of 
the early Christians. As evening approached we were glad to learn that our 
place of rest was not far off ; and the valley in which Zebdeni is situated 
proved a delightful alternative to the rugged hills that had wearied us and our 
horses. This little village lies pleasantly among gardens, hedged with haw- 
thorn, then in full blossom, and here we first heard the cheerful notes of the 
cuckoo, the harbinger of spring. The rain began to fall a short time before 
our arrival ; and as our tents would have been uncomfortable, we took lodgings 
in the house of a fellah or peasant. The family willingly moved out to a 
neighbor's, for the night, and gave us full command of the house; where, 
before a cheerful fire, we were soon able to make ourselves at home. 

April 27th. — To-day we crossed the higher ranges of Anti-Lebanon, and in 
one place came to banks of snow, though all around, at no great distance, the 
fields were green, and the trees putting forth buds and leaves. Upon a rock, 



FIRST VIEW OP BAALBEO. 



191 



at the edge of this snow-bank, we seated ourselves for our noon-day's rest and 
refreshment. 

A ride through mountain scenery, in the highest degree picturesque, 
brought the opposite chain of Lebanon in sight, and we looked down upon the 
extensive valley which stretches between these two' ranges of mountains. 
Baalbec, the object of our journey, we did not discover until we were very 
near it, as it lies below the Anti-Lebanon hills, over which we were passing. 

BAALBEC. 

An accurate account of these extensive ruins would occupy more space 
than we ought to afford them in the brief sequel of a tour through the Land of 
Promise. Indeed, they are worthy of professional skill, and of a work exclu- 
sively devoted to their illustration. But as I cannot bring myself to pass by 
ruins so remarkable, though not strictly comprehended within my original 
purpose, I must endeavor, a difficult task ! to convey some general idea to your 
mind. 

We descended the hills with the long line of snow-crowned Libanus stretch- 
ing before us, to the right and left, as far as the eye could reach. Beneath was 
the extensive valley, but its southern portion only was revealed to sight. The 
object for which our eyes were intently watching, as portion after portion of 
the plain opened upon us, did not present itself till we we were upon the base 
of the last high grounds of Anti-Libanus. When we had almost reached the 
valley, and were emerging from a projecting hill, upon looking to the right, 
what seemed to be a lofty mound, embosomed in trees, broke the level of the 
plain. Upon this mound and towering above the tops of the trees, were six 
stately columns. As we drew nigh, we could discover, upon a lower level, 
roofless walls, a broken pediment and pillars, some erect, and some partly fallen 
and leaning against the others. Below these again, and along the base of the 
mound, were lines of wall, like ruined foundations of great extent. Between 
the mound and the base of the last hill we had descended, the plain was filled 
with a confused mass of square stones, broken friezes and columns, as if a city 



192 



CIKCULAR TEMPLE AT BAALBEC. 



had there been shaken to pieces. Amongst these fragments of former magnifi- 
cence a lively stream forced itself, and, having cleared its way, found a channel 
beyond and ran off down the valley, marking its course by a long avenue 
of noble trees. The ruins of Netley Abbey or Melrose are more graceful, 
the Coliseum grander, the temple at Karnak more stupendous, but nothing 
have we seen comparable with Baalbec for picturesque beauty with majesty 
combined. 

Having established ourselves in the modern village, which is situated upon 
the outer edge of the ruins, we walked leisurely among these most interesting 
monuments of antiquity. Upon the plain, and amidst the remains of the 
ancient city, our attention was first drawn to a small temple, embosomed in 
trees, and almost insulated by a curve in the stream running around its base. 
It has been much shattered by earthquakes, but enough is left to show that its 
order was Corinthian, and its form circular within and without. Its face 
presented columns and niches, alternating with beautifully carved wreaths, 
depending from the columns, and hanging gracefully over the niches. A 
portion of the circumference, a few columns, and the door posts, splendid 
monoliths, are alone standing ; but the broken capitals, and fragments of richly 
sculptured architraves and cornices, of a circular form, scattered around, show 
that although a very small edifice compared with the temple near by, it must 
have been a gem of art, like the tomb of Lysicrates at Athens, only considerably 
larger. 

From this temple a commanding view of the larger ruins is obtained. So 
extensive are they, and such is the confusion produced by comparatively modern 
additions, that we found it difficult to get a clear idea of the relations of the 
various parts ; and without a plan and elevations, I fear that it will be next to 
impossible to give a satisfactory description of them. 

What seemed, at a distance, to be an extensive mound, we discovered to be 
a lofty platform, built probably to enlarge the area of a natural rock, or small 
eminence. Two immense vaults run parallel with each other, at a distance of 
three or four hundred feet, extending much farther from front to rear, and 
appear to have been intended to support the sides of the platform. One was 



PLATFOEM OF THE GEEAT TEMPLE. 193 

almost entirely filled with rubbish, and the opening to the other was occupied 
by a number of the inhabitants, with their sheep and cattle, so that we could 
not enter it for investigation ; but we could see through it, as into the tunnel 
of a railway. These immense vaults running from east to west are united, at 
their western termination, by another crossing them at right angles. Around 
them ran the exterior wall of the platform, which rested upon them. In this 
are many stones of large dimensions, but on the western side, where there 
seems to have been a wide fosse or ditch, are three of wonderful size. They 
far surpass any blocks we have ever seen, and probably they are the largest. 
Together they measure in length one hundred and eighty-nine feet. By a 
break in the wall we were enabled to get access, so as to measure the dimen- 
sions of one of them. It was sixty-eight feet long, eighteen deep, and twelve 
high. Above these immense blocks the wall is continued by courses of stones 
which, when not in contrast with these giants of conglomerate, would be 
thought enormous. The whole platform is doubtless of different ages, and the 
stupendous blocks were probably placed there many centuries before the 
Christian era. The arches, of course, are Eoman ; but as to the foundations 
themselves, there is no reason why they may not belong to the age of Solomon. 
He built store-houses in Hamath and Tadmor in the wilderness, and as we 
before intimated, this is probably Baalath or Baal-gad, in agreement with the 
tradition still prevalent among the Arabs. And no wonder that they should 
add, the wise king compelled the genii to perform work for him that seems of 
superhuman power ; for the stones are by far the most ponderous masses that 
have ever been placed in a wall, and they are here raised some fifteen feet 
above the ground. Some idea of the immense weight to be moved from the 
quarry, elevated and swung or rolled into its position, may be formed from the 
fact, that one of these stones contains almost 15,000 solid feet. The last 
structures are of quite a recent period, when the Saracens erected walls, and 
adapted the ancient ruins to the purposes of a fortress. The immense platform 
was designed to sustain the weighty mass of the temple, and to elevate it in 
such a manner that it might be a prominent object from all parts of the valley. 
Baalbec was doubtless a city of great importance in ancient times, as it lay 

25 



194 



TEMPLE OE THE SUN AT BAALBEC. 



on the direct route between Nineveh and Babylon on the one side, and Tyre 
and Sidon on the other. 

The grand entrance appears to have been at the east, and evidences yet 
remain of a noble colonnade and a wide flight of steps. This entrance is, 
however, now completely walled up, with fragments of ruins, cornices, friezes, 
portions of columns, and other proofs of the hands of the Saracens. It is 
flanked by two square towers. By a small aperture we succeeded in getting 
in, and, having reached the level of the platform, we found ourselves in a 
hexagonal court, about 150 feet wide. This court had been surrounded with 
buildings, but now completely ruined, so that we could not conjecture their 
origin or purpose. A much larger quadrangular court adjoins this, 350 feet 
long by more than 300 wide, surrounded by buildings in much better 
preservation, separated from each other by pilasters, ornamented with rich 
mouldings and niches. These may have formed a suite of chambers for the 
residence of the priests. In the centre of this large area are the foundations 
only of a square building ; but as there are no ruins above them the inference 
has been drawn that the temple designed to stand here was never completed. 
Beyond this is the principal edifice, and here is full proof of the existence of 
one of the most majestic temples ever erected. 

In addition to the six columns which constitute the beauty of the ruins of 
Baalbec, and which attract your eye from all points, prostrate pillars and the 
solid foundations of the temple furnish the strongest evidence of ancient 
magnificence. Adjoining this immense platform is another more depressed, 
where stands a smaller temple, in far better preservation, and affording an idea 
of the labor and cost of its elaborate ornaments. Within, it is one hundred 
and eighteen feet long and sixty-five wide. A beautiful Corinthian colonnade 
surrounds it with pillars forty -five feet high, and six or seven in diameter, 
eight feet apart, and about the same distance from the cell. The material is a 
compact limestone, and so finely wrought and fitted that the lines of junction 

4 

can scarcely be perceived. The roof has fallen in ; but between the colonnade 
and the cell there are some portions of it left, and with the arches, busts and 
surrounding net-work these afford some idea of its ornate richness, when the 



STOJSTE QUAEEY AT BAALBEC. 



195 



temple yet stood in perfect splendor. The Emperor Theodosius converted it 
into a church, and there remain some evidences of its former adaptation to this 
sacred purpose, especially in what seem to have been the arrangements for a 
chancel. 

But I feel that it is in vain to attempt to convey here any just impression 
of the beauty and magnificence of these ruins ; and can only refer you, in 
conclusion, to the elaborate and splendid work of Wood on Baalbec and 
Palmyra. 

April 28th. — A large portion of this morning was devoted to a farther 
examination of the ruins of Baalbec. We rode three miles to the quarry 
whence the enormous blocks of the foundation were taken. It was in the side 
of Anti-Lebanon, and to appearance, the workmen might have left it only for 
their dinner, though it has not been wrought for tens of centuries. In this 
quarry we found a huge stone precisely similar to those of the foundation, and 
apparently ready to be removed. What the mechanical contrivances then 
were to transport such masses, we could not conceive ; for we doubt whether it 
could be accomplished at the present day. Though modern science and 
mechanics have been adapted to more useful purposes, yet we have never seen 
them applied to works of such stupendous magnificence. 

LEBANON. 

A ride of three hours across the length of the plain, brought us to the foot 
of the opposite Lebanon, which we were now to cross. Near the beginning of 
the ascent we came to the village of Zachlee, where, in a Christian family, we 
met a most hospitable reception. It was, indeed, the first Christian village we 
had been in for many weeks, and contained fourteen churches. Though the 
truth of the doctrine may be deformed by superstition, yet we perceived at 
once the influence of the Faith of the Blessed Eedeemer. The appearance of 
the men was less gross and sensual, and the women were not afraid to converse 
with us with unveiled faces. The village, too, was much neater in its whole 
aspect. The host absolutely refused to receive money; and as we were now 



196 



SUNDAY BELLS BEYROUT HOME. 



approaching the end of our journey, we succeeded only in persuading him to 
take some of those stores of provisions for which we should have no farther 
use. 

April 29th. — Sunday morning was ushered in, and we were aroused by the 
long unaccustomed sound of the cheerful ringing of bells from the churches 
and monasteries of Zachlee. We had now travelled through the whole extent 
of Egypt and the Holy Land ; but had never heard a Sunday bell since we 
left Malta. The cry of the Muezzin, calling to prayers, may be pleasing, but 
the associations of our hearts were with the glad sounds which now saluted 
our ears. In company with our English, friends we celebrated the morning 
service. 

April 30th. — We now had to cross the mountains of Lebanon ; ana were 
sometimes elevated so far above the level of the sea that our way lay across 
the eternal snows. For a long time we were enveloped in the dense clouds that 
hung in masses upon the ancient hills ; but at length they broke away, and 
afforded us a magnificent view of the ranges and peaks on both sides ol us, 
covered with trees and dotted here and there with convents. But a more 
glorious sight lay below us ; for there was stretched out the placid bosom of 
the Mediterranean Sea, and the ships at anchor in the harbor of Beyrout, 
looking like so many cockboats. We hastened down the rapid descent ; and 
as we entered Beyrout the smell of the salt air, and the fragrance of the tarred 
rigging were more delicious to us than the perfumes of Damascus. We were 
indeed leaving a land of sacred recollections, and one that will be ever dear to 
our hearts. But in that harbor we awaited the welcome vessel that was to 
convey us to dear friends and towards our homes in the West. 



THE END. 




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